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El-Menshawi, Bassem Egypt         -Former Vice President for Research of the National Research Centre of Egypt "NRC" (2000-2004). -Professor of Pharmacognosy, NRC (since 1988-present). -Head & Founder of the In-Vitro Bioassay Cell Culture Laboratory, NRC (2003-present) -NEPAD Science and Technology Regional Coordinator for Northern Africa (2004). Director and Co-Founder of the “Drug Bioavailability/ Bioequivalency Specialized Unit”, at NRC Medical Service Unit, accredited by Ministry of Health, Egypt, to serving the pharmaceutical industries in Egypt (since 2005-present). Ph.D. (1975) and M. Sc. (1972) in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacognosy) from Cairo University, Egypt, and B. Sc. in Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Assiut University in Egypt (1967). Visiting Professor, at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, of The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA (1990). Visiting Associate Professor, at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA (1987). Post-Doctoral Fellowship, at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, of the Westfalian-Wilhelms University, Muenster, Germany (1975 -1977). The inventor of the "Novel treatment of the skin diseases vitiligo and psoriasis by oral Khellin", trade name: Psorvitil, of Memphis Chemical Co, Egypt (1981); and the inventor of the patent "Novel medicinal preparations based on Salvadora persica =Miswak”, Cairo Patent Office, EC-17062, trade name: Epident, by Eipico pharmaceuticals, Egypt (1985). Co-Founder of the "Industrial Pharmacy Laboratory" at NRC, Egypt, equipped with modern facilities for formulation of various pharmaceutical dosage forms, on semi-pilot scale (1994). Supervised the research of 15 Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees, and is currently supervising the research of 8 Ph.D. and M.Sc. students in Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology, and Biology. Principal Investigator of project entitled "The use of biotechnological methods for drug discovery: antitumors, cancer chemo-preventives, antivirals, immunomodulatories & schistosomicides from Egyptian plants", funded by Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Cairo, Phase I (1998-2003), Phase II (2004-present). Principal Investigator of project entitled "active plant constituents and derivatives as novel molluscicides" funded by the Schistosomiasis Research Project - US-AID & Ministry of Health-Egypt (1994-1998). Chaired several NRC Committees responsible for: overseeing the development of a strategic planning for scientific programs, and administering the research projects funded by the NRC and other national and foreign agencies (2000-2004). Initiated cooperative agreements between NRC and several universities and research institutions in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and Africa. Chaired the NRC Committee for Planning of "Drug Discovery Research Area" (1998-2000). Member of the NRC Scientific Promotion Committee [Pharmaceutical Sciences] (1993-present), Member of the National Committee for Food Safety, Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt, (1993-1995), Member of the Consultancy Committee for the Control of Schistosomiasis, Ministry of Health, Egypt (1994-1997). Member in the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP), Society of Medicinal Plant Research, Germany (GA), the Egyptian Syndicate of Pharmacists, the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Society, and Founder of Egyptian Academic & Student Club, Muenster University, W. Germany, 1976-1977. Published more than 65 papers in international and Egyptian periodicals; and presented lectures in front of more than 30 international conferences held in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. Abstract Towards an Integrated Research Policy in the Area of Drug Discovery in_ the Arab Countries (Including mechanisms to better utilization of their terrestrial and marine wealth) This paper will throw light on the different Strategies and Approaches used in the Area of Drug Discovery Research, where their strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats will be reviewed. The current research lines in theArabic universities and research centers will be discussed, and mechanisms will be proposed for better utilization of the plant and marine wealth in Drug Discovery research and industry. In this frame, the “bioassay-guided fractionation” approach will be discussed versus the “phytochemical fractionation" approach, for their capacity towards the detection, and isolation of therapeutically active constituents from the natural extracts (plants and marine organisms). The increasing use of invitro- bioassays versus in-vivo bioassays will be discussed, for screening of libraries of synthetic chemicals and crude extracts for a specific medicinal effect.The design and summary of work of an ongoing project which utilizes biotechnological methodologies for drug discovery from Egyptian plants conducted at the National Research Centre-Egypt will be presented as example to target specific medicinal effects, namely: (1) schistosomicidal, (2) antitumor, (3) cancer chemopreventive [anticarcinogenic], (4)immunomodulating, and (4) antiviral activities.___ _This work is funded by The Acad. Sci. Res. & Technol., and NRC, Egypt, under the project: “The use of biotechnological methods for drug discovery from Egyptian plants”, Contract # 10- 1997, Phase I (1998-2003), Phase II (2004-7).