Mohammed names Egyptian doctor Nabil Seidah winner of 'Great Arab Minds' award in medicine

 His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday said, “We would like to congratulate Dr Nabil Seidah from Egypt, Director of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology Research Unit, Montreal Clinical Research Institute, on winning the Great Arab Minds Award in the field of medicine for 2025.” 

His Highness added, "Dr Nabil made pioneering scientific contributions to our understanding of heart health and cholesterol regulation. His studies focused on the biological processes that control how the body deals with fats. This work contributed to the development of a new generation of drugs that are widely used today to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. He published over 820 scientific papers, and his work has been cited over 71,000 times.” 

His Highness continued, “Medicine is a humanitarian mission, and our region has made a significant contribution to the development of its sciences, practices, tools and research over the centuries. The Great Arab Minds Award celebrates the achievements of the Arab people and presents them as role models for future generations.” 

The Great Arab Minds Award in Medicine for 2025 is awarded to Dr. Nabil Seidah in recognition of his pioneering contribution to improving heart health and understanding how the body regulates cholesterol. He has focused on key biological processes that determine how the body handles fats, work that helped reduce heart attack and stroke risks. 

A major milestone in his work was the discovery of PCSK9, an enzyme that plays a major role in controlling "bad" cholesterol in the blood. He found that its overactivity raises cholesterol to dangerous levels. This discovery enabled the development of PCSK9 inhibitors, medications that lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk.

With more than 820 publications, Dr. Seidah's work also advanced understanding of fatty-liver disease, obesity, cancer, and viral entry into cells, paving the way for new medical treatments.