Mohammed Shokeir, September
1977.
Mo Shokeir was born in Mansoura, Egypt on July 2, 1938. He graduated in medicine from Cairo University in 1960 and then attained diplomas in general and orthopedic surgery. As a Fulbright Scholar from 1964 to 1969, he studied medical genetics at the University of Michigan, where he obtained his Masters and Doctoral degrees. In 1969 he was recruited as a Queen Elizabeth II Scientist to the University of Saskatchewan's Department of Pediatrics. Apart from a three-year tenure at the University of Manitoba (1972-75), Dr. Shokeir remained a University of Saskatchewan faculty member throughout his career.
Dr. Shokeir blended exemplary medical genetic service with outstanding research as well as wise and productive administrative leadership. In recognition of his distinguished career as an educator, Dr. Shokeir was awarded in 1998 the Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. During his 17-year tenure as pediatric department head (1979-96), Dr. Shokeir militated with uncompromising vigour for the well-being of Saskatchewan children.
Dr. Shokeir's research included contributions to the understanding of Wilson's Disease and Huntington's Disease, as well as the description of two new genetic syndromes, the Pena-Shokeir I and Pena-Shokeir II Syndromes, which bear his and his co-investigator's names.
Alan Rosenberg