We are pleased to announce Dr. Amal Matar of Egypt as the recipient of the 2010 Pillars of PRIM&R Award.

Dr. Matar, who received her medical degree from Ain Shams University in 2000, is a graduate student in Biotechnology and Mass Communication and Journalism at American University in Cairo, Egypt. She will use her award to further the research she is conducting for her Master’s thesis, which will identify and assess the perspectives of and challenges facing IRB chairs at Egyptian institutions. Dr. Matar, who plans to conduct between 10 and 12 in-depth interviews for her thesis, hopes to ultimately be able to extend her study to include other countries in the region, including Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Dr. Matar’s project will be conducted in conjunction with the IRB at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. PRIM&R would like to congratulate Dr. Matar on her pioneering work in the research ethics field.

We look forward to Dr. Matar’s presentation of her work at the 2011 AER Conference in National Harbor, MD, and we hope you will be there to join us!

Since its founding in 1974, PRIM&R has been infused with the wisdom, devotion, and vision of a number of highly respected and uncommonly committed directors of the board, members, and volunteers. In recognition of these contributions, in 2007, PRIM&R established the Pillars of PRIM&R Memorial Fund to recognize those who hold the same values, principles, and commitment to research protections. The Pillars of PRIM&R Memorial Fund provides awards to qualified applicants whose scholarship in the field of research ethics reflects PRIM&R’s mission and core values. It is our hope, through this initiative, the unique spirit and principles of those designated as Pillars will inspire the next generation of leaders in the field. To learn more about the Pillars of PRIM&R, please visit our website.