Prof. Ahmed M El Hassan is an Emeritus Professor of Pathology at the Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum. He was the Minster of Higher Education in Sudan.

El hassan was interested in Psychology at a young age. After acquiring the Diploma in Medicine with distinction from the Kitchener School of Medicine in 1955, and winning the Kitchener Memorial Prize, he joined the Ministry of Health as House Officer and then as Medical Officer from 1955 to 1958.

In April, 1958, he joined the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Khartoum as a Research Assistant in the Department of Pathology. He earned his Diploma (DCP) in Pathology from the University of London and his PhD from the University of Edinburgh. In 1966, he has become the first Sudanese Professor of pathology in the Department of Pathology at the University of Khartoum. In 1969, he was elected as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and in 1971 he was elected as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Khartoum. His life was dedicated to education, teaching, research and serving the poor people of the rural areas.

Milestones in his achievements:

In 1966, Prof. El-Hassan was appointed as the first Professor of pathology, and Chairman of the Department of Pathology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Khartoum. During this time he helped with the establishment of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Technology. In 1969, he was elected Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and then as Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Khartoum.

In 1971, Prof. El-Hassan was called upon to establish the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. During that period he laid the foundation of the ministry, and with the help of many academicians, he was able to maintain the independence that Sudanese universities enjoyed over the years.

During the period between 1972-77, Prof. El-Hassan was the Chairperson of the Medical Research Council (MRC) at the National Council for Research in Sudan, and has helped in establishing the Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI) at the NCR with its two arms: the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Omdurman, and Laboratory in Khartoum.

In 1993, along with other colleagues, Prof. El-Hassan founded the Institute of Endemic Diseases (IED), at the University of Khartoum. The objectives of this institute were to undertake research on endemic diseases, train medical and paramedical staff, and offer specialized services in endemic diseases. In 1994, he & Prof. Suad Mohamed Sulaiman shared efforts in the establishment of the Sudanese Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (SSTMH) and prof. El-Hassan became its first president. The society contributed significantly to the promotion of tropical medicine in Sudan and in the region.

Prof. El Hassan contributed in the founding efforts of many other institute & initiatives including the Pathology Museum, SUH Clinical Health Research Centre, North-South Collaboration, EMR Health Research Forum, Department of Pathology, Ahfad University, African Malaria Network Trust, Medical Photography & Illustration Unit, Sudanese National Academy of Sciences and last but not least, the Nile College which began functioning in 2008 in Omdurman, and to which he is a founding member and the first Chairman of its Board of Directors.

During 1977-87, he established the Department of Pathology in the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences at King Faisal University in Dammam, KSA, and was its first Chairperson. During the same period, he established the Directorate of Research, Publications, and Translation and was its acting Director.

Prof. El-Hassan is a compassionate scholar dedicated to his work. Indeed, his role as mentor of young and aspiring researchers was paramount. Prof. El Hassan master minded the success of the Educational Development Centre for Health Professionals at the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Khartoum and has organized a good number of national training workshops on research methodology and scientific writing.

Prof. El-Hassan believes in the importance of voluntary work and was a founding member and active friend of several NGOs, and gave material and moral support to various organizations irrespective of their size or importance. The Women Initiative Group (WIG) was established in Khartoum in 1997 by a group of women scientists, researchers, and educators from Sudan as a voluntary non-profit organization. Prof. El-Hassan had been an active member of the WIG Advisory Committee, which he hosted at the Institute of Endemic Diseases.

Main fields of research

Prof. El Hassan has 234 research publications in his credit. His rich research repertoire spans various different fields as listed below:
Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic studies on leishmaniasis in Sudan.
Evaluation of molecular biological and serological methods in the diagnosis of leishmaniasis under field conditions.
Immunopathology of leishmaniasis.
Vaccination against leishmaniasis.
Infectious agents and cancers including nasopharyngeal cancer, Burkitt’s lymphoma, oesophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and cervical cancer.
Epidemiology of leprosy in the southern part of Gedaref State, Sudan.
Epidemiology of malaria in two villages on the Rahad River, and the Gedaref State in Sudan.
uberculosis, bilharziasis, and renal diseases
Currently in each of these topics there is a student working for his/her higher degree under the supervision of Prof. ElHassan.

Awards & Recognitions:

Prof. El Hassan has received several Awards, prizes and recognitions during the tenure of his career

Among the prominent awards include:

Kitchener Memorial Prize, University of Khartoum
Donald Mackey Prize, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Shousha Prize, World Health Organization.
EL Neelain Order, Government of Sudan
El Zubair Prize for Medicine, Government of Sudan

In recognition of his outstanding achievements and pivotal contributions to the medical field, Prof. Ahmed El Hassan is awarded the Hamdan Award for Honoring Distinguished Personalities form the Arab World for the 2017-2018 term.