Sherief Ibrahim Mohamed Ahmed Khalifa BSc, BPharm, PhD

Prof. Khalifa received his BSc (Pharm) at King Saud University in 1986, and his Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi (USA) in 1994. His specialty is pharmacognosy (the study of medicines from natural sources) with a particular interest in bioactive substances derived from marine sources. Upon graduation, Prof. Khalifa joined Suez Canal University (SCU) as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy with linkage to the Biotechnology Research Centre at that institution. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2002 and remained with SCU until 2007 when he joined the Faculty of Pharmacy at Misr International University (MIU). He was promoted to Full Professor at MIU in 2009. Before leaving MIU to join Qatar University (QU), Prof. Khalifa was Professor and Head, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy in the Faculty of Pharmacy.

Prof. Khalifa received the Ahmad Askar Best Research Award (SCU) in 2005, a Fulbright Teaching & Research Scholarship in 2001 and the Model Pharmacist Award for the Suez Canal Area in 1999. He has numerous peer-reviewed research papers and invited presentations and several research grants.

Prof. Khalifa has many years of experience in higher education in the Middle East region and has been instrumental in establishing linkages between SCU/MIU/QU and USA-based academic institutions including the University of Mississippi, South Carolina College of Pharmacy, the University of Georgia, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Saint Joseph. While his research focus is in pharmacognosy, he has a passion for advancing pharmacy practice in the Middle East. He was responsible for introducing clinical pharmacy into the MIU curriculum and has continued this quest at Qatar University and now at Gulf Medical University.