Department of Internal Medicine,

Allergy & Clinical Immunology (Adult Division)

– Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

National & International Collaboration

Introduction

The Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology was founded in 1960 by Professor Mohamed Monir El-Mahairy, PhD, FRCP, in collaboration with Dr. Franklin (UK), marking the first specialized department of allergy and clinical immunology among Egyptian universities. Building on this foundation, Dr. Naguib El-Tarabishi, MD, together with Dr. Mohamed Diaa El-Din Soliman, MD, FACAAI, established the allergen extract and Allergen Immunotherapy unit in 1962, enabling the department to treat a wide spectrum of allergic diseases, including Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis, Eczema, Urticaria, and drug allergy and food Allergy.

Today, the Department of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Adult Division, Ain Shams University stands as one of the largest and most comprehensive centers for Allergy, Clinical Immunology in Egypt and the Middle East, offering Master’s and MD degrees in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In recognition of its excellence, the center was designated as a Center of Excellence by the World Allergy Organization in March 2026.

For over six decades, the department has provided advanced patient care, cutting-edge research, and extensive medical education, with recent years witnessing the introduction of biologics and treatments for hereditary angioedema, inborn errors of immunity, and various allergic conditions.

Mission and Vision

Vision:

To be a leading center of excellence in allergy and clinical immunology in the Middle East and Africa, setting regional and international standards for patient care, research, and medical education.

Mission:

– To provide comprehensive, patient-centered care for individuals with allergic, immunological, and autoimmune diseases.

– To advance scientific knowledge through high-quality clinical research.

– To train and mentor the next generation of physicians, specialists, and researchers in allergy and clinical immunology.

– To collaborate with national and international organizations to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and management of allergic and immunologic diseases globally.

Clinical Services

Inpatient & Day Care Services:

A 28-bed inpatient ward for patients with allergic disorders, severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs), autoimmune diseases, and internal medicine conditions. Those patients are either admitted from the ER or our allergy and clinical immunology clinics.

A specialized day care unit for infusion therapies, including IVIG, biologics (rituximab, omalizumab, dupilumab, lanadelumab), and immunosuppressive therapies.

Specialized Units:

1- Drug Allergy Unit: for Performing drug skin testing, drug provocation, desensitization, patch tests, and skin biopsies.

We have been performing drug challenge or desensitization monthly. We had performed drug challenge for different antibiotics including penicillin, cephalosporins, quinolones, vancomycin and gentamycin. Moreover, we did Challange for aspirin, NSAIDs, celecoxib, paracetamol, steroids, Clexane and heparin. We also did drug desensitization for insulin and Aspirin.

We are doing patch test for drugs in cases of delayed hypersensitivity reaction such as cases of Erthyema Multiform major and fixed drug eruptions.

We perform about skin biopsies per week with different dermatological diseases, and these biopsies are analyzed at the pathology lab at Ain Shams University.

2- Pulmonary Function test : Spirometry testing for patients with respiratory allergies

3- Allergen Immunotherapy unit

Producing locally prepared Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) extracts (both subcutaneous and sublingual), serving thousands of patients across Egypt since the 1960s. The Allergen Immunotherapy unit is introducing more than 50 types of allergens between food and inhalants besides chemical substances used for Patch test. These allergens are prepared locally at the lab with a special room for mites and molds breeding. The lab uses volume weight technique in AIT preparation and then ultrafiltration of the allergens is done using Amicon stirred ultrafiltration cell. The allergy lab serves about 300 patients monthly between SLIT and SCIT immunotherapy.

We have been able to introduce molecular allergy to our hospital as we, in cooperation with the clinical pathology department, have been able to use specific IgE with ImmunoCap technique for allergy diagnosis.

Outpatient Clinics

– Allergy Clinics: Twice weekly, serving more than 60 patients per session, with almost 20 skin prick tests performed at each clinic.

https://demerdashhospital.com/قسم-الحساسية-والمناعة-بعين-شمس

– Immunology Clinic: Weekly, for patients with immunodeficiency, SLE, sarcoidosis, uveitis, and autoimmune diseases serving more than 20 patients each clinic.

– General Internal Medicine Clinic: Weekly, providing comprehensive care for internal medicine patients.

Education & Training

– Undergraduate Education:

Teaching allergy and immunology courses of internal medicine subject to the 4^th grade medical students at Ain Shams University.

– Postgraduate Education:

Residency, Master and M.D. degree programs training in allergy, clinical immunology, and internal medicine. We are the only university in Egypt that give allergy and clinical immunology post graduate certificates since 2018.

Nowadays we have 9 residents, 3 registered for master’s degrees and 9 students for M.D. degrees. We have 3 students who have completed their master’s degree in allergy and Clinical Immunology, one completed an M.D. and two at their final stage in M.D.

– Weekly Academic Activities:

Online Tuesday lecture series with participation from faculties across Egyptian universities.
Sunday grand rounds with interactive case discussions for residents, general practitioners, and postgraduate students.

Telegram link :

https://t.me/allergyandimmunology

Youtube lectures : https://youtube.com/@allergyandimmunology-ainshams?si=bEYs3ZeXrZ3rE4rr

Teams :

(1)

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/396939129344?p=X8dxWLFlWcoYE5KT22

(2)

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/366738576822597?p=T5BkM1Zy0ZGe9ET3ha

Research

The department has a strong research culture with ongoing projects in:

– Allergic diseases (asthma, rhinitis, urticaria, atopic dermatitis).

– Drug allergy and adverse drug reactions.

– Primary immunodeficiency and inborn errors of immunity.

– Autoimmune diseases including SLE, sarcoidosis, and vasculitis.

We regularly publish in peer-reviewed international journals, present at national and international conferences, and participate in multicenter collaborative studies.

Many staff have been awarded the international publishment award for international publications from Ain Shams University:

1-Prof. Zeinab Ashour

2- Ass. Prof.Mai Ahmed ElDeeb

3- Ass.Prof.Aya ElGENDI

4- Ass.Prof. Shimaa Hani Fouad

5- Ass.Prof. Sylvia Talaat Tangho

– Clinical trials on biologics and novel therapeutics:

1- Our department is now engaged in research project with Takeda company and in cooperation with different Egyptian universities, about HAE patients across whole Egypt. The reference number of ethical committee approval from Ain Shams University is FMASU P21/2025.

2- Phase 1 clinical trial of Alfa-Feto protein, Glypican-3 based personalized cancer vaccine in Egyptian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: pilot study, is now processing.

National & International Collaboration

– Collaborations with Egyptian universities and hospitals for patient care and postgraduate training.

– Active participation in the Egyptian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (ESCAI), American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) activities.

-In March 2026, the department was distinguished as a Center of Excellence by the World Allergy Organization.

– Engaging in outreach programs to increase awareness and improve access to allergy care in underserved areas of Egypt.

We have many staff who have received awards and fellowships from prestigious Allergy Organizations:

1-Assistant Professor/ Abeer Eissa:

Attended and had an EAACI grant for abstract poster presentation in the EAACI allergy school “Specific allergy and immunotherapy” in Elscorial, Spain, 15-17 November 2012.
Won the poster prize for an outstanding presentation in the EAACI allergy school “Specific allergy and immunotherapy” in Elscorial, Spain, 15-17 November 2012
Awarded an EAACI clinical fellowship in Hospital Clinico San Carlos in Madrid, Spain in 2013 under the supervision of Professor Montserrat Fernandez Rivas .
Attended and had an EAACI grant for poster presentation in the EAACI Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark 7-11 June 2014

Won poster prize for the abstract (Skin Prick test reactivity to aeroallergens among Egyptian patients with isolated allergic conjunctival diseases) in the EAACI Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark 7-11 June 2014.

2- Assistant Professor / Manar Farouk Mohamed:

EAACI Clinical fellowship at Humanitas University, Milan. 2018
Winner of EAACI Allergy school in Izmir 2020

3-Dr.Ahmed Yehia (lecturer):

EAACI 2023 Congress Travel Grant, Germany
EAACI 2025 Clinical Fellowship Grant, King’s College, London
AAAAI/WAO 2025 Congress Travel Grant.

4- Dr Mahetab Moustafa ( assistant lecturer)

Mahetab Moustafa was granted a three-year study and training leave to practice medicine in the United Kingdom, of which 18 months were dedicated to immunology. She held the position of Immunology Senior Clinical Fellow at Salford Care Organisation, Greater Manchester.

Staff & Expertise

The division includes 44 faculty members and 6 residents, with expertise spanning allergy, clinical immunology, autoimmunity, and immunodeficiency:

– 11 Professors

– 8 Assistant Professors

– 15 Lecturers

– 9 Assistant Lecturers

Staff CV :

https://medasuedu-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/nadaragab_med_asu_edu_eg/IgDbzK2Tn1NPRafl758HqPmrARzSksBwn71LQOUnlW17REo?e=Ngev1K

Current head of the department

Prof. Rasha Youssef Shahin

Former head of the department

Prof. Mohamed Monir El-Mahairy
Prof. Naguib El-Tarabishi
Prof. Saeed Abu Gamra
Prof. Diaa El-Din Soliman
Prof. Medhat El-Shafei
Prof. Hassan Soliman
Prof. Amr Fatin
Prof. Suzan Hossny
Prof. Mohamed Kamel Sabry
Prof. Ashraf Mahmoud Okba
Prof. Maged Mohamed Refaat
Prof. Mohamed Abdel Rahman El-Shayeb
Prof. Rasha Youssef Shahin

The staff:

Professor:

Prof. Diaa El Din Soliman
Prof .Fawz el shayeb
Prof. Suzan Hossny
Prof .Ashraf Mahmoud Okba
Prof. Maged Mohamed Refaat
Prof. Fawzia Hassan Abu Ali
Prof. Salwa Abdelzaher Mabrouk Ibrahim
Prof .Hany El saeed
Prof. Mohamed Abdel Rahman El-Shayeb
Prof. Eman Naguib Othman El-Mahdi
Prof. Zeinab Ahmed Ashour
Prof. Mohamed Nazmy Farres
Prof. Rasha Youssef Mohamed Shahin
Prof. Nermine Abd Elnour Melek
Prof .Asmaa Saber Abdelrehim
Prof. Dina Sayed Abo El-Fotouh Sheha
Prof. Eman El-Sayed Ahmed
Prof. Mai Ahmed Youssef Mohamed El-Deeb

Assistant Professor:

Lecturer:

Junior members

Assistant Lecturer

Dr. Mahetab Moustafa
Dr. Marwa Magdy Mahmoud
Dr. Menna Allah Nabil Shafiq Nassar
Dr. Norhan Hassan Mohamed Hamed
Dr. Heidy Ahmed Fouad Ahmed Fawzy
Dr. Fatma Al-Zahraa Abdel Qader Mohamed
Dr. Nada Ragab El-Mekawey Mohamed
Dr. Mohamed El-Sayed Saeed Maghnam
Dr. Yasmine Ali Farag
Dr. Mostafa Mohamed Lotfy
Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Mohamed El-Sherbiny
Dr. Reham Mohamed Tawfik
Dr. Nora Mohamed Bilal
Dr. Shaimaa Salah Abdel Sattar
Dr. Monica Malak
Dr. Nada Essam El-Din El-Moghawery

junior CV :

https://medasuedu-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/nadaragab_med_asu_edu_eg/IgC5qMf7siT9Qb4AlkZQlcBIAY5LqU5-PSsi9EQTMXismjA?e=zhMlyM

Visiting Doctors

Dr Amal Assaad Cincinnati MD

Associate Director, Division of Allergy and Immunology

Director of Clinical Services, Division of Allergy and Immunology

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/bio/a/amal-assaad

Dr Raouf S. Amin, MD

Director, Division of Pulmonary Medicine

Program Director, Complex Obstructive Sleep Apnea Center

The Hubert and Dorothy Campbell Chair of Pediatric Pulmonology

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/bio/a/raouf-amin

Heads of Department

Current head of the department :

Prof.Rasha Youssef

Former head of the department :

Prof. Mohamed Monir El-Mahairy

Prof. Naguib El-Tarabishi

Prof. Saeed Abu Gamra

Prof. Diaa El-Din Soliman

Prof. Medhat El-Shafei

Prof. Hassan Soliman

Prof. Amr Fatin

Prof.Mohamed El-Banna

Prof. Suzan Hossny

Prof. Mohamed Kamel Sabry

Prof. Ashraf Mahmoud Okba

Prof. Maged Mohamed Refaat

Prof. Mohamed Abdel Rahman El-Shayeb

News

Coming soon

Photos

Allergy & Clinical Immunology

Department of Internal Medicine,

Allergy & Clinical Immunology (Adult Division)

– Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

For over six decades, the department has provided advanced patient care, cutting-edge research, and extensive medical education, with recent years witnessing the introduction of biologics and treatments for hereditary angioedema, inborn errors of immunity, and various allergic conditions.

Vision:

To be a leading center of excellence in allergy and clinical immunology in the Middle East and Africa, setting regional and international standards for patient care, research, and medical education.

Mission:

– To provide comprehensive, patient-centered care for individuals with allergic, immunological, and autoimmune diseases.

– To advance scientific knowledge through high-quality clinical research.

– To train and mentor the next generation of physicians, specialists, and researchers in allergy and clinical immunology.

– To collaborate with national and international organizations to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and management of allergic and immunologic diseases globally.

Inpatient & Day Care Services:

A 28-bed inpatient ward for patients with allergic disorders, severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs), autoimmune diseases, and internal medicine conditions. Those patients are either admitted from the ER or our allergy and clinical immunology clinics.

A specialized day care unit for infusion therapies, including IVIG, biologics (rituximab, omalizumab, dupilumab, lanadelumab), and immunosuppressive therapies.

Specialized Units:

1- Drug Allergy Unit: for Performing drug skin testing, drug provocation, desensitization, patch tests, and skin biopsies.

We are doing patch test for drugs in cases of delayed hypersensitivity reaction such as cases of Erthyema Multiform major and fixed drug eruptions.

We perform about skin biopsies per week with different dermatological diseases, and these biopsies are analyzed at the pathology lab at Ain Shams University.

2- Pulmonary Function test : Spirometry testing for patients with respiratory allergies

3- Allergen Immunotherapy unit

We have been able to introduce molecular allergy to our hospital as we, in cooperation with the clinical pathology department, have been able to use specific IgE with ImmunoCap technique for allergy diagnosis.

Outpatient Clinics

– Allergy Clinics: Twice weekly, serving more than 60 patients per session, with almost 20 skin prick tests performed at each clinic.

https://demerdashhospital.com/قسم-الحساسية-والمناعة-بعين-شمس

– Immunology Clinic: Weekly, for patients with immunodeficiency, SLE, sarcoidosis, uveitis, and autoimmune diseases serving more than 20 patients each clinic.

– General Internal Medicine Clinic: Weekly, providing comprehensive care for internal medicine patients.

– Undergraduate Education:

Teaching allergy and immunology courses of internal medicine subject to the 4th grade medical students at Ain Shams University.

– Postgraduate Education:

Residency, Master and M.D. degree programs training in allergy, clinical immunology, and internal medicine. We are the only university in Egypt that give allergy and clinical immunology post graduate certificates since 2018.

Nowadays we have 9 residents, 3 registered for master’s degrees and 9 students for M.D. degrees. We have 3 students who have completed their master’s degree in allergy and Clinical Immunology, one completed an M.D. and two at their final stage in M.D.

– Weekly Academic Activities:

Online Tuesday lecture series with participation from faculties across Egyptian universities.

Sunday grand rounds with interactive case discussions for residents, general practitioners, and postgraduate students.

Telegram link :

https://t.me/allergyandimmunology

Youtube lectures : https://youtube.com/@allergyandimmunology-ainshams?si=bEYs3ZeXrZ3rE4rr

Teams :

(1)

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/396939129344?p=X8dxWLFlWcoYE5KT22

(2)

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/366738576822597?p=T5BkM1Zy0ZGe9ET3ha

The department has a strong research culture with ongoing projects in:

– Allergic diseases (asthma, rhinitis, urticaria, atopic dermatitis).

– Drug allergy and adverse drug reactions.

– Primary immunodeficiency and inborn errors of immunity.

– Autoimmune diseases including SLE, sarcoidosis, and vasculitis.

We regularly publish in peer-reviewed international journals, present at national and international conferences, and participate in multicenter collaborative studies.

Many staff have been awarded the international publishment award for international publications from Ain Shams University:

1-Prof. Zeinab Ashour

2- Ass. Prof.Mai Ahmed ElDeeb

3- Ass.Prof.Aya ElGENDI

4- Ass.Prof. Shimaa Hani Fouad

5- Ass.Prof. Sylvia Talaat Tangho

– Clinical trials on biologics and novel therapeutics:

1- Our department is now engaged in research project with Takeda company and in cooperation with different Egyptian universities, about HAE patients across whole Egypt. The reference number of ethical committee approval from Ain Shams University is FMASU P21/2025.

2- Phase 1 clinical trial of Alfa-Feto protein, Glypican-3 based personalized cancer vaccine in Egyptian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: pilot study, is now processing.

– Collaborations with Egyptian universities and hospitals for patient care and postgraduate training.

– Active participation in the Egyptian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (ESCAI), American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) activities.

-In March 2026, the department was distinguished as a Center of Excellence by the World Allergy Organization.

– Engaging in outreach programs to increase awareness and improve access to allergy care in underserved areas of Egypt.

We have many staff who have received awards and fellowships from prestigious Allergy Organizations:

1-Assistant Professor/ Abeer Eissa:

Attended and had an EAACI grant for abstract poster presentation in the EAACI allergy school “Specific allergy and immunotherapy” in Elscorial, Spain, 15-17 November 2012.

Won the poster prize for an outstanding presentation in the EAACI allergy school “Specific allergy and immunotherapy” in Elscorial, Spain, 15-17 November 2012

Awarded an EAACI clinical fellowship in Hospital Clinico San Carlos in Madrid, Spain in 2013 under the supervision of Professor Montserrat Fernandez Rivas .

Attended and had an EAACI grant for poster presentation in the EAACI Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark 7-11 June 2014

Won poster prize for the abstract (Skin Prick test reactivity to aeroallergens among Egyptian patients with isolated allergic conjunctival diseases) in the EAACI Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark 7-11 June 2014.

2- Assistant Professor / Manar Farouk Mohamed:

EAACI Clinical fellowship at Humanitas University, Milan. 2018

Winner of EAACI Allergy school in Izmir 2020

3-Dr.Ahmed Yehia (lecturer):

EAACI 2023 Congress Travel Grant, Germany

EAACI 2025 Clinical Fellowship Grant, King’s College, London

AAAAI/WAO 2025 Congress Travel Grant.

4- Dr Mahetab Moustafa ( assistant lecturer)

Mahetab Moustafa was granted a three-year study and training leave to practice medicine in the United Kingdom, of which 18 months were dedicated to immunology. She held the position of Immunology Senior Clinical Fellow at Salford Care Organisation, Greater Manchester.

The division includes 44 faculty members and 6 residents, with expertise spanning allergy, clinical immunology, autoimmunity, and immunodeficiency:

– 11 Professors

Teaching allergy and immunology courses of internal medicine subject to the 4^th grade medical students at Ain Shams University.