Sameera Moussa

Egyptian nuclear physicist who pioneered affordable cancer treatment research.

Sameera Moussa (1917–1952) revolutionized nuclear physics in the Arab world while advocating for peaceful atomic energy. Graduating top of her class at Cairo University in 1939, she became Egypt's first female nuclear physics professor. Her groundbreaking research focused on decomposing cheap metals like copper into usable isotopes, aiming to make cancer treatment accessible globally.

Moussa organized the 1952 'Atoms for Peace' conference, proposing international labs open to African and Asian scientists. She famously declined US citizenship offers, insisting 'My homeland awaits my contributions.' Tragically, she died in a suspicious car accident at 35, with her notebooks mysteriously disappearing.

Today, Egypt's Nuclear Materials Authority building bears her name, and she's featured on postage stamps. Her unfinished work inspired later projects like the IAEA's cancer initiatives in developing countries.