Biography:

2012-present
Coordinator of the expert group to develop Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture of Egypt, 2030,n and its Business Plans.

Chair or coordinating number of taskforce and consultant groups in MoALR for Development and Strategic and Investing Objectives.

Egypt Representative in number of Regional & Intergovernmental Organizations and Networks; CIHEAM, ARRANINA, ARIMNET

Member of Food & Agriculture Council, National Academy of Science

Member of Scientific TF for Research and Technology Transfer Component ,ARDF

National counterpart for FAO/TCP project to develop Monitoring & Evaluation unit in MOALR

2006-2012
Supervisor of Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre (ARC), Cairo.

Chairman of Scientific Promotion Committee for Animal Production, ARC

Senior Advisor of National Agriculture Research and Development Council, and Coordinator for Animal Production activities.

Coordinator of the task force for developing Animal Production Research Institutes, and other Livestock organizations, Ministry of Agriculture.

Coordinator for Animal Breeding & Genetic Forum Focal point for Animal Genetic Resources, Egypt.

Senior Advisor to ICARDA DG, on Research for Development & crop-livestock integration.

1997-2003
FAO Representative to Pakistan and FAO Contact to Afghanistan Programme

1992-1997
Agricultural Counselor and Deputy Permanent Representative of Egypt to FAO, WFP and IFAD, Rome.

1990-1992
Under Secretary for Animal Production Sector, Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt.

1990-1992
Director of Technology Transfer, Agricultural Research Centre, Egypt. National Agriculture Reserch project.

1985-1990
Acting Director and Deputy Director for Research and Development, Animal Production Institute, Agricultural Research Centre.

Abstract:

"Livestock Adaotation to Envuromental Stress and Climate Change"

Environmental stress and climate-change affect livestock in four main ways: (1) impact of feed-grain availability; (2) impacts on pastures; (3) direct effects of weather and extreme events on animal production and health; and (4) changes in the distribution and incidence of livestock diseases. Adaptation by farmers to environmental stress and climate-change is paramount. Climate change may resulted also in redistribution of livestock and changes in the types of animals that are used (e.g. shift from cattle and buffalo to sheep, goats and to camels); and genotype changes (e.g., utilization of breeds that are capable to handle adverse conditions).

Environmental stress and climate-change are the major problems affecting animal production in hot dry areas, where ambient temperature exceeds the upper critical temperature of livestock and negatively affect production and reproduction traits; and increase losses rates. Since summer 2008, Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), in cooperation with the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) launched a program for investigating the genetic variation for tolerance to abiotic environmental stresses in Egyptian Barki desert sheep and goats under hot dry conditions. Animals were assessed for their response to heat and exercise stress in the North Western Coastal Zone of Egypt (NWCZ) simulating grazing under solar radiation in poor pasture. A total number of 642 sheep and 345 goats have been evaluated, 2-3 trials for each, according to their physiological response to stress in thermal, respiratory and metabolic parameters. Animal Tolerance Index (ATI) was developed to identify tolerant sheep and goats. ATI was developed based on the stages of physiological responses to heat stress; shallow/deep panting and exceeding upper critical temperature. Accordingly, animals were categorized into different groups of tolerance to climatic stress (7 groups). Five physiological parameters were selected to form the stress index; Rectal Temperature, Respiration Rate, Minute Ventilation Volume, Tidal Volume and Heat Production. Preliminary SNP genotyping results indicated detectable variation between High- and Low-tolerant groups on some Ovine and Caprine chromosomal regions (on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 10, 13, 17, 19 and 21 in sheep and chromosomes 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14 and 17 in goats)
Keywords: Genetics, Abiotic Stress, Tolerance, Desert, Sheep, Goats