The 2026 Hussein Cancer Research Awards ceremony was held in Amman, Jordan, under the patronage of the Jordanian royal family. Prince Talal bin Mohammed, representing King Abdullah II, attended the event and honored the winners. The awards recognize researchers who have made significant contributions to cancer research, prevention, and treatment. Egyptian researchers Imam Wakad and Amany Attallah were among the winners, praised for their work in cancer research.
Dr. Imam Wakad, from Menoufia University, won the Lifetime Achievement Award in the regional track, while Dr. Amany Attallah, from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, won the Young Researcher Award in the regional track. The awards acknowledge their innovative research and dedication to advancing cancer research. The ceremony was attended by Princess Ghada Talal, head of the board of trustees of the Hussein Cancer Center, and other dignitaries.
Dr. Amany Attallah's research focuses on biomedical signal processing and artificial intelligence applications in medicine and healthcare. Her work aims to develop low-cost AI tools for use in resource-limited settings, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children and women. She obtained her PhD in AI in Healthcare from a British university before returning to Egypt to apply her expertise to the Egyptian healthcare sector.
Dr. Attallah faced challenges in the early stages of her work, including resistance from some doctors to using AI technologies. However, she continued to promote collaboration between engineering and medical specialties to develop practical solutions to health challenges. She established a research lab, "WeBuySlab," to develop AI-based tools to support communities and improve healthcare services.
The lab has collaborated with Egyptian hospitals and medical colleges to develop AI models for medical applications. Dr. Attallah's research has covered various types of cancer, including breast, cervical, brain, and blood cancer, with a focus on developing low-cost models that support research and applications related to these diseases. Her award recognizes her contributions to using AI in cancer research.
The Hussein Cancer Research Awards, launched in 2020, aim to honor researchers who have made significant contributions to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. The awards have received over 950 applications from researchers representing more than 30 countries. The winners were selected after evaluation by over 15 international reviewers.
The awards also recognize research programs that have made significant contributions to cancer care. The program "Professional Development for Excellence in Cancer Patient Care" at the Hussein Cancer Center was awarded for its outstanding work in developing specialized treatment services, including bone marrow transplantation and cell therapy.
Key points
- Egyptian researchers Imam Wakad and Amany Attallah have won the 2026 Hussein Cancer Research Awards for their innovative research in cancer treatment and AI applications in healthcare.
