On Oct. 13, 2023, the world mourned the loss of Dr. Mohammed Dabbour, an exceptionally kind and dedicated individual with aspirations. I was deeply saddened to learn about the tragic passing of a colleague, along with several members of his family, including his son and father.
This heartrending event, resulting from the Israeli military’s airstrikes in Gaza, claimed the life of an extraordinary soul.
My colleague shared a similar professional background with me as a pathologist. He obtained his medical degree from Gaza Medical School and completed his residency in anatomic pathology at the University of Jordan in Amman in 2013.
He then pursued specialized training through a fellowship in oncologic pathology and hematopathology at the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in Amman, Jordan. Our paths crossed during my tenure as the chairman of the Department of Cell Therapy and Applied Genomics at the same institution.
Sadly, Dr. Dabbour’s life was tragically cut short during his unwavering commitment to this vital mission of caring for cancer patients and advancing cancer practice in Gaza
In late 2015, Mohammed returned to Gaza, where he took on the role of a consultant pathologist at Al-Shifa Hospital and also served as the head of the Pre-Clinical Department at the medical school. In June 2022, he briefly returned to Amman for a one-month training program in flow cytometry at KHCC, with the aim of establishing and overseeing a flow cytometry laboratory in Gaza.
The primary goal of this endeavor was to provide advanced diagnostic services for hematological neoplasms. Sadly, Dr. Dabbour’s life was tragically cut short during his unwavering commitment to this vital mission of caring for cancer patients and advancing cancer practice in Gaza.
Abdelghani Tbakhi, MD
Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine,
McMaster University;
Head of service/director, Discipline of Hematology & Histocompatibility,
Director, Cellular Therapy and Transplantation Processing Facilities,
Juravinski Hospital & Cancer Centre,
Hamilton Health Sciences
