Dr. Tawfik received her MBBCH (M.D.) from medical school at Mansoura University, Egypt in 1994. She completed a residency and received her M.Sc. in internal medicine from the same institute in 1999. Dr. Tawfik continued her education and research training by joining the Vascular Biology Center at Medical College of Georgia (MCG) as a postdoctoral fellow. During her fellowship training at MCG, she developed her research interest in studying the underlying mechanisms of neurovascular dysfunction in retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Prior to joining Oakland University Eye Research Institute (ERI), Dr. Tawfik held the position of Associate Professor at the Dental and Medical Colleges of Georgia, Augusta University, where she directed the systemic Anatomy course and co-directed the vision research core grant and established a strong research portfolio in the area of Vision Sciences and Ophthalmology.
Dr. Tawfik’s research has been continuously funded by NIH and other funding agencies.
Dr. Tawfik taught anatomical sciences to medical and dental students for several years with a special focus on the systemic anatomy, craniofacial complex and neuroscience. She also mentored several undergraduate, graduate, medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents throughout her research career.
Dr. Tawfik also serves as a reviewer to several funding agencies including, American Diabetes Association, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and as a reviewer for several journals.
Contact Information:
Office: Dodge Hall 409,
118 Library Dr, Rochester, MI 48309
Phone: 248-370-2398
Email: [email protected]
Specialties: Vision Sciences, Neuroscience, Vascular Biology, Systemic Anatomy, Craniofacial complex.
Education:
M.Sc., Internal Medicine , Mansoura University 1999
MBBCH (M.D.), Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Egypt 1994
Certifications:
- Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
Research Interests:
- Molecular and Cellular mechanisms of neurovascular injury in retinopathies such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. In particular, the role of nutritional deficiencies, specifically folic acid and vitamin B12, and their relation with amino acid homocysteine in the impairment of vision. She uses basic research techniques to enhance the understanding of how elevated levels of homocysteine contributes to the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, the most common causes of blindness worldwide
- Studying the role of Homocysteine in Blood brain barrier dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease.
- The interaction between Homocysteine and bioactive lipids in retinal and diseases
The ultimate goal of Dr. Tawfik’s research is to save vision in patients with specific retinal diseases.
Publications:
Dr. Tawfik has published about 45 articles, mostly in diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
List of publications on PubMed
