Hashem El-Serag
Encyclopedia
Hashem El-Serag is a Palestinian-American doctor and medical researcher best known for his groundbreaking research in Hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC) and the hepatitis C virus
.
El-Serag was born in 1966 in Libya
to Palestinian
parents from the Gaza Strip
. He received his M.D.
from Al-Arab Medical University in Benghazi
, Libya
. He then moved to the United States
, where he performed his residency in internal medicine
at Yale University
Greenwich Hospital (Connecticut)
and received a gastroenterology
fellowship
at the University of New Mexico
in Albuquerque, before earning his Master of Public Health
from the University of New Mexico
.
Nearly all of the research on Hepatocellular carcinoma
in the United States
can be attributed to El-Serag, who has published over 120 scholarly papers on the subject, and received the GlaxoWellcome
Digestive Health Foundation Award for Health Care Advancement in 1997, the American Gastroenterological Association
's Young Clinical Investigator Award in 2003, and the American Gastroenterological Association
's Masters Award in Clinical Research in 2005 for his work. El-Serag has also become a leading expert on chronic liver disease
, gastroesophageal reflux disease
and genetic epidemiology
.
He is currently Chief of Gastroenterology
and Hepatology
at Baylor College of Medicine
, and the Chief of Clinical Epidemiology
and Outcomes Division at Houston VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas
. In addition, he is the Assistant Editor of the medical journal Gastroenterology.
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
(HCC) and the hepatitis C virus
Hepatitis C virus
Hepatitis C virus is a small , enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae...
.
El-Serag was born in 1966 in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
to Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
parents from the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. He received his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from Al-Arab Medical University in Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. He then moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he performed his residency in internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
Greenwich Hospital (Connecticut)
Greenwich Hospital (Connecticut)
Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut, is a community hospital serving people in lower Fairfield County and in lower Westchester County New York....
and received a gastroenterology
Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
fellowship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
in Albuquerque, before earning his Master of Public Health
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
from the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
.
Nearly all of the research on Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
can be attributed to El-Serag, who has published over 120 scholarly papers on the subject, and received the GlaxoWellcome
GlaxoWellcome
GlaxoWellcome was a medicine wholeseller. It merged with SmithKline Beecham in 2000 to form GlaxoSmithKline.1978 - Through the acquisition of Meyer Laboratories Inc, Glaxo's business in the US is started, to become Glaxo Inc from 1980. The broad-spectrum injectable antibiotic Zinacef is...
Digestive Health Foundation Award for Health Care Advancement in 1997, the American Gastroenterological Association
American Gastroenterological Association
The American Gastroenterological Association "AGA" is a medical association of gastroenterologists. About 17,000 scientists and physicians are members of the organization.-Overview:...
's Young Clinical Investigator Award in 2003, and the American Gastroenterological Association
American Gastroenterological Association
The American Gastroenterological Association "AGA" is a medical association of gastroenterologists. About 17,000 scientists and physicians are members of the organization.-Overview:...
's Masters Award in Clinical Research in 2005 for his work. El-Serag has also become a leading expert on chronic liver disease
Chronic liver disease
Chronic liver disease in the clinical context is a disease process of the liver that involves a process of progressive destruction and regeneration of the liver parenchyma leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis.- Causes :...
, gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease , gastro-oesophageal reflux disease , gastric reflux disease, or acid reflux disease is chronic symptoms or mucosal damage caused by stomach acid coming up from the stomach into the esophagus...
and genetic epidemiology
Genetic epidemiology
Genetic epidemiology is the study of the role of genetic factors in determining health and disease in families and in populations, and the interplay of such genetic factors with environmental factors...
.
He is currently Chief of Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
and Hepatology
Hepatology
Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates the study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders. Etymologically the word Hepatology is formed of ancient Greek hepar or hepato- meaning ' liver' and suffix -logia meaning 'word' or 'speech'...
at Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
, and the Chief of Clinical Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
and Outcomes Division at Houston VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. In addition, he is the Assistant Editor of the medical journal Gastroenterology.