Amr El Shahed

Co-Director
Neonatal Neocritical Care Unit

Co-Director
Neonatal Neurology Fellowship Program

Dr. Amr El Shahed has special interest in brain health, follow-up, and neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants and neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Amr works on enhancing brain monitoring in newborns at risk for brain injury and optimizing developmental assessment and support in the Neonatal Neurodevelopmental follow up Clinic. His research is focused on studying: hemodynamics and cerebral oxygenation in neonates with HIE, pattern of brain injury and evaluation of different prognostic utilities in HIE.

Research

Dr. El Shahed studies the changes in cerebral oxygenation and cardiac function during hypothermia and rewarming in neonates with HIE. He is studying the association between cardiovascular biomarkers and inotropic drugs and outcome in neonates with HIE aiming to establish optimum hemodynamic targets in this population. He is planning to study the effect of postnatal steroids on cerebral and splanchnic oxygenation in preterm infants.

Education and experience

Degrees

• 2010–2011: Diploma, Diploma of Health Professional Education, Medical Education, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
• 2002–2007: Doctorate, Medical Doctorate, Pediatrics, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
• 1999–2002: Master's Thesis, Master degree in Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
• 1990–1996: Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.

Postgraduate, Research and Specialty Training

• 2015–2017: Neonatal Neurology Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• 2013–2015: Neonatal Transport Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• 2005–2007: Perinatal-Neonatal Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• 1999–2002: Pediatric Resident, Department of Pediatrics, Mansoura University Children's Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt

Administrative activities

• 2019–Present: Co-director, Neonatal Neocritical Care Unit, SickKids
• 2019–Present: Co-director, Neonatal Neurology Fellowship Program, SickKids
• 2012–2013: Director, Mansoura University Children's Hospital Out-Patient Clinics. Egyptian Neonatal Network
• 2010–2013: Director of Data Management Centre of EGNN
• 2010–2013: Project Co-Director, EGNN for training pediatricians; TEMPUS project sponsored by EU

Achievements

• 2002: Award of Best Master Thesis, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. 
• 2013: Supervisor of Best Master Thesis Award, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. 

Funding

• 2019–2021: Intranasal Human Milk as Stem Cell Therapy in preterm Infants with Intraventricular Hemorrhage. Canadian Tri-Agency New Frontiers Research Fund (Inaugural Competition). Co-Investigator: Amr El Shahed. $250,000 CAD.
• 2018–2020: Co-Investigator. Implementation of EEG and NIRS in the clinic; a national team. Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). Kids Brain Health Network. Principal Investigator: Sarah Lippe. $100,000. 

1. Principal Author. El Shahed AI, Dargaville P, Ohlsson A, Soll RF. Surfactant for meconium aspiration syndrome in term and late preterm infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:18(3): 1-36.  
2. Co-Author. Giesinger R, El Shahed A, Castaldo MP, Breatnach C, Chau V, Whyte HE, El-Khuffash A, Mertens L, McNamara P. Impaired Right Ventricular Performance Is Associated with Adverse Outcome after Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. American journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2019 Nov 15;200(10):1294-1305. 
3. Co-Author. Grass B,  El Shahed A, Ly LG, Chau V, Branson HM, Blaser S,  Runeckles K, Wilson D, Whyte H. Therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy after perinatal sentinel events: less brain injury on MRI and improved neurodevelopmental outcome at 18-36 months. J Perinatol. 2020 Feb 12.
4. Co-Author. Soliman Y, El Shahed A, Jaques B. Neonatal coning secondary to hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy: A case study and literature review. Paediatrics & Child Health. 2019 Nov 25;doi10.1093