Dr. Hala Medhat Assem | Nanobiotechnology | Best Researcher Award

The British University in Egypt | Egypt

Dr. Hala Medhat Assem Ahmed Mohamed Abou-Awad is an Assistant Professor of Architectural Engineering whose research and academic career are distinguished by her specialization in neuroarchitecture, sustainable design, and human wellbeing in the built environment. She earned her Ph.D. in Architectural Engineering from Ain Shams University, where her doctoral work focused on integrating neuroarchitecture into inclusive design for neurodiverse individuals, following a Master’s degree in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport that examined the psychological restorative effects of landscape design. she has built extensive teaching experience at The British University in Egypt and several other institutions, delivering and supervising a wide range of courses in architectural and interior design, sustainability, environmental control, design history and theory, management, and graduation projects, while also contributing as a guest lecturer on specialized subjects such as sustainable interior design, neuroarchitecture, and the Chicago School of Architecture. Alongside teaching, she has developed a strong research profile as an independent researcher and as a reviewer for multiple Scopus-indexed journals including the Ain Shams Engineering Journal, Cogent Education, Cogent Arts & Humanities, and the International Journal of Environmental Research, with notable publications addressing neuroarchitecture, cognitive-emotional development, sustainability, gender differences in collaborative learning, and restorative landscape design. Her contributions extend beyond academia through her role as Academic Research and Consultancy Member at the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA), USA, and her active involvement in international workshops, symposia, and community initiatives focusing on biophilic design, heritage conservation, sustainable urbanism, and inclusive architectural practice.

Profile: Google Scholar | Orcid | Scopus

Featured Publications

• Assem, H. M., Khodeir, L. M., & Fathy, F. (2023). Designing for human wellbeing: The integration of neuroarchitecture in design–A systematic review. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 14(6), 102102.

• Morsi, W. K., & Assem, H. M. (2021). Online versus face-to-face collaborative learning: Perceptions of students and instructors of technical writing for engineers. In 2021 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (pp. 1571–1581). IEEE.

• Morsi, W. K., & Assem, H. M. (2021). Gender differences of Egyptian undergraduate students’ achievements in online collaborative learning. In International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (pp. 905–916). Springer.

• Assem, H. M., Tolba, O., & Ashour, S. (2020). The restorative effect of different landscape design settings on adults: The case study of Al-Azhar Park in Cairo. Journal of Engineering and Applied Science, 67(5), 1001–1018.

• Assem, H., & El-Sayed, M. (2019). Redefining heritage public spaces for cultural events through the use of GIS technology: The case of El Azhar Street-Cairo. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology, 2(3), 77–87.

• Assem, H., & Morsi, W. (2025). A framework for the design of effective learning environments in the AI era: Egyptian students’ preferences from humanities versus engineering disciplines. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 53(3), 319–345.

• Assem, H. M., & Morsi, W. K. (2024). Gender differences: The impact of gender grouping on Egyptian STEM undergraduates’ online group work. MEXTESOL Journal, 48(4), 1–25.

• Ahmed, H. M. A., & Othman, A. A. E. (2014). Achieving sustainable values through waste reduction during the architectural design process: A literature review.Nanobiotechnology In Proceedings of the International Academic Conference (IAC).