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International Psoriasis Council

Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

Mahira El Sayed Headshot

Mahira

El Sayed

,

MSc, MD

Professor of Dermatology and Venereology/Administrative Medical Director of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology
Ain Shams University
Cairo
,
Egypt
Councilor Since: March 1, 2015
IPC Board Member
Professor Mahira Hamdy El Sayed is a Professor of Dermatology and Venereology at Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. She qualified in medicine in Cairo with honors and obtained two post-graduate degrees: MSc and MD. Her training has been chiefly at her home university but includes a period of research in Glasgow, Scotland, for two years. She has served as the Administrative Director of the Department since 2000 and was Department Head from 2017 to 2018. She has numerous responsibilities, including directorship of the dermatology training program. Professor El Sayed is the Head of the Egyptian Board of Dermatology and is involved in the Ministry of Health combined committee for Biologic therapy for psoriasis patients and her fellow rheumatologists. She has lectured widely at international meetings, is a member of multiple national and international dermatology societies, and has organized many congresses. Additionally, she is a member of the training committee of the Arab Board of Dermatology. Professor El Sayed is very committed to improving the outcomes for patients with psoriasis in Egypt and has, on numerous occasions, lobbied the government to improve access to healthcare and medicine.
Last Updated:
01/15/2024

Areas of Interest

Pediatric psoriasis and epidemiology.

IPC Committees / Groups

Africa Working Group, Board Member, Diverse Skin Types Working Group, Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force, Governance Committee

Languages Spoken

Arabic, English

Involvement with Other Organization(s)

Professor El Sayed helped start a patient association in Egypt. She is a member of the Ministry of Health committee for evaluating patients with different dermatological conditions and deciding on sponsoring treatment, and a member of the committee for biologic treatment of psoriasis.

What's New

When Your Patient with Psoriasis Is Diagnosed with Cancer

A patient doing well on an IL-17 inhibitor is diagnosed with cancer, and the oncologist wants the biologic stopped. It is a call most dermatologists have made without much to stand on: patients with cancer are excluded from psoriasis trials, so the entire evidence base is observational. A new IPC paper in JAAD Reviews takes a position anyway. Per the summary of product characteristics, active malignancy is not a contraindication to any biologic. IL-17 and IL-23p19 inhibitors are first-line, TNF inhibitors and deucravacitinib warrant caution, and cyclosporine is the one to avoid outright. The authors also warn that psoriasis severity is routinely underestimated once a patient is in oncology care: if they meet IPC’s criteria, they are a candidate for systemic therapy regardless of what else is on their problem list. “Too often, systemic psoriasis therapy is discontinued or never initiated in patients with cancer, even when the evidence supports safe and effective options,” says Paolo Gisondi, MD, IPC Councilor and lead author. The post includes the therapeutic options figure, designed as a reference for both specialties to work from, and a slide set for teaching and presentations.

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Thursday, August 27, 2026

Apply Now: 2027 IPC International Fellowship Program

IPC is accepting applications for the 2027 International Fellowship Program, a 12-month opportunity for early-career dermatologists and researchers focused on psoriasis. Fellows are matched with IPC Board Members or Councilors for hands-on clinical or research experience, along with virtual mentoring, skills-development classes, and ongoing connections to IPC’s global network throughout the fellowship year. Applications are open until September 30, 2026.

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Monday, August 31, 2026

IPC Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) Training Modules

Recognizing GPP in clinical practice can be a challenge, even for experienced dermatologists. IPC’s new five-part training series walks clinicians through the practical skills needed to diagnose and assess GPP with confidence: distinguishing it from plaque psoriasis and other mimicking conditions, and scoring its severity using tools such as the GPPGA and GPPASI. Each module pairs an expert-led video with a case-based exercise, and the series is built to be completed in sequence at your own pace. All five modules are free and open to everyone; watch the videos on your own or work through the assessments as you go. Score 80% or higher on each of the five assessments to earn a Certificate of Completion.

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Thursday, August 13, 2026

IPC Summary Slides: Psoriasis and Metabolic Health

IPC has released a set of summary slides distilling the key findings from its recent publication on psoriasis and metabolic health, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). The paper outlines five priorities for improving cardiometabolic risk screening and care in patients with psoriasis. Designed for sharing, the slides give clinicians and colleagues an easy way to disseminate the findings.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Paradoxical Psoriasis - María Julia Cura, MD

In this Take Ten with IPC video, IPC Junior Councilor Dr. María Julia Cura discusses paradoxical psoriasis, including its definition and pathogenesis, and reviews clinical case examples, key clinical features, histopathology, predictors of disease severity, and potential treatment options.

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Monday, August 3, 2026