Abstract
My scientific path is a result of inspiration and perseverance. I was blessed with parents who believed in the importance of education at a time when formal education for women was practically non-existent in my country, Saudi Arabia. I was sent abroad for my education, and became the fist Saudi woman ever amongst all fields of specialties to obtain a Bachelor's, then Ph.D. degree and became the first Professor of Pharmacology, amongst all Saudi men and women. I returned to my country determined to serve my society the best I can and to make my parents proud. However, establishing myself in a male-dominated society, that had lacked the infrastructure for university education for women or for scientific research was not easy. Supported by those who believed in me, I was able to slowly influence changes in our educational system that finally allowed Saudi women to be accepted into formal university education. I established scientific colleges for women as well as shared in the establishment of a medical school and its associated colleges. During my professional career, I became the first woman vice-dean in a university and the first Full Professor of Pharmacology in Saudi Arabia as well as the first Saudi woman to be given a post at the World Health Organization (WHO). With initial international collaboration with universities abroad, I was able to begin research projects that continued after the transfer of technology and know how. I founded the first Drug Monitoring Unit in my country which helped clinicians in safe drug dose adjustments as well as serving as a research facility from where 120 research articles were published. One of my main research achievements was to define the Saudi population's polymorphism in metabolic pathways of drug; the publications that resulted from that research have become well cited literature reference. I am continually involved with public health services, strong advocacy of women's empowerment in my society and the fight against drug of abuse and addiction. I was the first person to receive the Makkah Award for Excellence for my contribution to science and research, which is the highest distinction bestowed on Saudi citizens.