My professional interests focus on studying and investigating antibiotic resistance mechanisms in problematic pathogens that lead to severe infections in immunocompromised patients within hospital settings. My research involves exploring the genetic relatedness of collected isolates, utilizing MLST and PFGE to identify outbreaks in intensive care units and hospitals. Employing whole genome sequencing, I delve into the genetic context of extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative strains responsible for life-threatening infections in hospitalized patients, aiming to uncover previously unexplored findings beyond antibiotic resistance determinants. My research publications have garnered 1122 citations, with an H-index of 13. Currently, my ongoing work revolves around detecting updates in antimicrobial resistance patterns, particularly post-COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly impacted antibiotic susceptibility and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens in Egyptian hospitals. I employ whole genome sequencing to better characterize and understand the genetic environment of bacterial isolates. In addition to my research, I am actively involved in teaching and educating pharmacy students, accumulating over 16 years of experience. Furthermore, I am exploring innovative approaches, such as natural products, nanoparticles, and bacteriophages, as potential solutions for treating infections caused by superbugs, aiming to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Education Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University July 2014 Master's Degree in Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University January 2010 Bachelor's Degree in Pharmacy Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University Graduated 2004 (Excellent with Honors) Academic Positions Full Professor-Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University July 2024 - Present Associate Professor-Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Pharmacy-Ahram Canadian University July 2019 - July 2024
Published 1. Abdul Hak, A., Zedan, H. H., El-Mahallawy, H. A., El-Sayyad, G. S., & Zafer, M. M. (2024). In Vivo and in Vitro activity of colistin-conjugated bimetallic silver-copper oxide nanoparticles against Pandrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. BMC microbiology, 24(1), 213. 2. Zafer, M. M., Bassiouny, D. M., Ghosh, S., Bornman, C., & Hussein, A. F. (2024). Antimicrobial resistance patterns among critical priority pathogens in an intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in Egypt: a descriptive analysis comparing pre-and COVID-19 eras. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 73(6), 001838. 3. Changing Patterns of Bacterial Profile and Antimicrobial Resistance in High-Risk Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Tertiary Oncology Hospital" Authors: Rasha M. Abdel-Hamid*, Hadir A. El-Mahallawy, Rasha M. Allam, Mai M. Zafer, Marwa Elswify ( Accepted for publication: Archives of Microbiology).April 2024. 4. Zafer, M. M., Mohamed, G. A., Ibrahim, S. R., Ghosh, S., Bornman, C., & Elfaky, M. A. (2024). Biofilm-mediated infections by multidrug-resistant microbes: a comprehensive exploration and forward perspectives. Archives of Microbiology, 206(3), 101. 5. Zafer MM, Hussein AFA, Al-Agamy MH, Radwan HH and Hamed SM (2023) Retained colistin susceptibility in clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates with multiple mutations in pmrCAB and lpxACD operons. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 13:1229473. 6. El-Mahallawy HA, El Swify M, Abdul Hak A, Zafer MM. Increasing trends of colistin resistance in patients at high-risk of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Ann Med. 2022 Dec;54(1):1-9. 7. Hamed SM, Hussein AFA, Al-Agamy MH, Radwan HH, Zafer MM. Tn7382, a novel composite transposon harboring blaNDM-1 and aphA6 in Acinetobacter baumannii. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2022 Sep; 30:414-417. doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.08.001. Epub 2022 Aug 6. PMID: 35944804. 8. Hamed SM, Hussein AFA, Al-Agamy MH, Radwan HH, Zafer MM. Genetic Configuration of Genomic Resistance Islands in Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates From Egypt. Front Microbiol. 2022 Jul 22;13:878912. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.878912. PMID: 35935207; PMCID: PMC9353178. 9. Younis, N.A., Hemdan, A., Zafer, M.M. et al. Standardization and quantitative analysis of Araucaria Heterophylla extract via an UPLC-MS/MS method and its formulation as an antibacterial phytonanoemulsion gel. Sci Rep 12, 12557 (2022). 10. El Gizawy, H.A.; El-Haddad, A.E.; Attia, Y.M.; Fahim, S.A.; Zafer, M.M.; Saadeldeen, A.M. In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity and Phytochemical Characterization (UPLC/T-TOF-MS/MS) of the Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Rind Extract. Molecules 2022, 27, 2480. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27082480. 11. Epidemiological features of nosocomial Klebsiella pneumoniae: virulence and resistance determinants. Mai M Zafer*, Maha M El Bastawisie, Mona Wassef, Amira FA Hussein & Mohammed A Ramadan. Future Microbiol. (2022) 17(1), 27–40. 12. Zafer MM, Hussein AFA, Al-Agamy MH, Radwan HH and Hamed SM (2021) Genomic Characterization of Extensively Drug-Resistant NDM-Producing Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates with the Emergence of Novel blaADC-257. Front. Microbiol. 12:736982. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.736982 13. Antimicrobial Resistance Threats in the emerging COVID-19 pandemic: Where do we stand? Soumya Ghosh, Charné Bornman, Mai M. Zafer, Journal of Infection and Public Health; 2021;14(5). 14. MALDI-TOF MS Overcomes Misidentification of the Uncommon Human Pathogen Candida famata by Routine Phenotypic Identification Methods. Doaa Ghaith, Mai Zafer, Thoraya Hosny, Mai abdel Fattah. Current Microbiology 2021; 78(12). 15. Severe COVID-19 and Sepsis: Immune Pathogenesis and Laboratory Markers. Mai M. Zafer, Hadir A. El-Mahallawy and Hossam M. Ashour. Microorganisms 2021,9, 159. 16. Emergence of Colistin resistance in multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli strains isolated from cancer patients. Mai Mahmoud Zafer* , Hadir El- Mahallawy, Asmaa Abdulhak, Magdy Amin, Mohamed Alagamy and Hesham radwan. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob. 2019; 18: 40. doi: 10.1186/s12941-019-0339-4. 17. Genetic diversity of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae causing neonatal sepsis in intensive care unit, Cairo, Egypt". Doaa Ghaith, Mai zafer, Hala Mufeed, Sherif Elanwary, Salwa El Saban, Mohamed Alagamy, Marie Bohol, Ahmed Al-Qahtani, and Mohamed Alahdal. European Journal of clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, DOI10.1007/s10096-019-03761. 18. Al-hassan, L., Zafer, M.M. & El-Mahallawy, H. Multiple Sequence Types Responsible for Healthcare-associated Acinetobacter baumannii dissemination in a Single Centre in Egypt. BMC infect DIS 19,829(2019). 19. Doaa Ghaith, Reem Hassan, Mohamed Ez El-Din Dawoud, Mohamed Eweis, Reem Metwally &Mai Zafer (2019) Effect of rifampicin–colistin combination against XDR Acinetobacter baumannii harbouring blaOXA 23-like gene and showed reduced susceptibility to colistin at Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt,Infectious Diseases, DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2018.1558369. Publications from 2018 and Before 20. Doaa Ghaith; Mai Zafer; dalia kadry; Mohamed Alagamy; Marie Bohol; Ahmed alqahtani; Mohamed alahdal; sheriff alnagdy; Islam youssif (2018). First Reported Nosocomial Outbreak of Serratia marcescens Harboring blaIMP-4 and blaVIM-2 in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Cairo, Egypt. Infection and Drug Resistance 11: 2211–2217. 21. El-Mahallawy H, Zafer M, Al-Agamy M, Amin M, Mersal M, Booq R, Alyamani E, Radwan S (2018) Dissemination of ST101 blaOXA-48 producing Klebsiella pneumoniae at tertiary care setting. J Infect Dev Ctries 12:422-428. 22. Hadir A. El Mahallawy, Mai M. Zafer, Magdy A. Amin, Mai M. Ragab& Mohamed H. Al- Agamy (2018) Spread of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae at tertiary care cancer hospital in Egypt, Infectious Diseases,DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2018.1428824 23. Reham Wasfi, Ola A. Abd El-Rahman, Mai M. Zafer, Hossam M. Ashour. Probiotic Lactobacillus sp. inhibit growth, biofilm formation and gene expression of caries-inducing Streptococcus mutans.J. Cell. Mol. Med. Vol XX, No X, 2018. 24. Mahmoud, M. H., Amin, M. A., Shebl, R. I., Mohamed, A. F., & Zafer, M. M. (2018). Influence of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of some bioactive compounds on the biofilm formation ability and virulence factors of multiple drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates. African Journal of Microbiology Research, 12(12), 275-283. 25. Reem Mostafa Hassan, Doaa Mohammad Ghaith, *, Dalia Kadry Ismail , Mai Mahmoud Zafer. Reduced susceptibility of Enterococcus spp. isolates from Cairo University Hospital to tigecycline: Highlight on the influence of proton pump inhibitors. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance 12 (2018) 68–72. 26. Doaa Ghaith, Mai Zafer, Mohamed H AlAgamy , Essam J Alyamani , Omar Almoazzamy , Rayan Y. Booq. The emergence of a novel sequence type of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii from an ICU of an Egyptian Tertiary Care Hospital. Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials (2017) 16:34. 27. Mona wassef, Hadir El Mahallawy, Mai Mahmoud Zafer*, Doaa Ghaith and Rasha abdel hamid (2015). Lab Based Surveillance of Multidrug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Cairo University Hospitals, Egypt. Journal of Microbiology & Experimentation (2015) 2:2. 28. Zafer MM, El Mahallawy AH, Al Agamy HM, Ashour SM & Amin AM. (2015). Dissemination of VIM-2 producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST233 at tertiary care hospitals in Egypt. BMC Infectious Diseases (2015) 15:122. 29. Zafer MM, Amin AM, El Mahallawy AH, Ashour SM & Al Agamy HM. (2014). First report of NDM-1 producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Egypt. International journal of infectious diseases IJID 2014, 29: 80-1. 30. Zafer MM, El Mahallawy AH, Amin AM, Ashour SM & Al Agamy HM. (2014). Characterization of Metallo-β-Lactamase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Egypt. Egyptian journal of Medical Microbiology, 23(1):69-74. 31. Zafer MM, Al Agamy HM, El Mahallawy AH, Amin AM & Ashour SM. (2014). Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern and Their Beta-Lactamase Encoding Genes among Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Isolated from Cancer Patients. Biomed Research International, 2014/101635:1-8. 32. Saad Y, Zafer MM, Amin AM, El-Daly M, Abdel Hamid M.(2010).High Prevalence of Occult Hepatitis C in Egyptian Patients with Cryptogenic Hepatitis. Kasr El Aini Medical journal, 16(2); 33-39.
