4 DENTAL TRIBUNE Pakistan Edition JAN-FEB 2021 INTERVIEW Dental Tribune Pakistan: You have been recently listed among the world's top 2% scientists in the world. What was your reaction? Dr Khalid Almas: First of all, my instant reaction was to say Alhamdulillah. I was sitting at my office, and one of my colleagues, whose high profile researcher at our workplace, congratulated me. I asked him what happened. And he told me that your name is listed among world's top scientists and asked him what about you? And he said to me that he was searching for his name in the list when he came across mine. So I instantly thanked Allah, who has been gracious; this is all due to His kindness and mercy. And the well-wishers' prayers and parents' prayers, family, wife, Dr Pakeeza Waheed and children for their immeasurable love, u n c o n d i t i o n a l s u p p o r t a n d u n w a v e r i n g perseverance. Of course, my patients, students all over the world that I have met in the past 30 years of my life. So I have a brief recollection of these things, and then I came back to my reality, and it took me about 30 seconds, and I said Alhamdulillah. And that was my response! After a while, when the news spread, I started receiving messages from my friends and everyone else. When I informed my children, they didn't seem surprised because they suffered during my career. The reason because it was, to some extent, the cost of family time. And I remember that when my son was three years old, and my elder daughter was peeping at my door, but I ignored them and kept preparing my presentation and proposals. My wife said that you know, don't be so rude and give time to children. I said we are investing in ourselves and the future of the family. All this hardship was reciprocated with the family's smiles, and Alhamdulillah it paid off in the end. DTP: How your interest in the field of research developed? DKA: I think I am not a very social person, but still, I met some excellent friends in my life. I have always tried to ignore the shortcomings of others and wanted to share positivity. That, of course, created efficient teamwork. I have worked with people from many different backgrounds and countries. And these days, you know, I am working Science is shifting sand, and every day we are getting new information so which one to believe. The professionals' role is to sieve through all of that information, develop guidelines and evaluate whenever new pieces of information are found and implemented accordingly. I think we lack that component in some areas that I haven't worked on before. Like in the animal research and molecular type of research, I am not a scientist. I was trained as a clinician, and later on, I found that I am a full-time faculty. Since I had invested some time in clinical dentistry, I thought I should probably invest more time in innovative thinking. And because I was also the Journal editor at the students Union during my dental college days so, at that time, I also had the habit of reading and writing. You know my father trained me as a researcher, and it was Only personal accountability can lead to success; Prof. Dr Khalid Almas by Dr Muattar Hanif P rofessor Dr Khalid Almas graduated from de Montmorency College of Dentistry, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. He then moved to the UK, for Master in Periodontology and later Master in Dental Public Health from Eastman Institute of Dental Sciences and the London Hospital Medical College/University College, University of London. He earned a Fellowship in Dental Surgery from Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgery and later a Fellowship in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Later on, he earned a fellowship of American Academy of Oral Medicine. He is also a fellow of International College of Dentists. He served as Head of Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, and Assistant Professor at de Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, then as an Assistant Professor at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. He served as an Associate Professor at New York University from 2003 -2007 and then moved to University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. He was promoted to full professor rank in 2011 and served as a Clinical Professor, Director predoctoral periodontics program and Director International Fellowship in Advanced Periodontics. Currently, Dr Almas is serving as Professor of Periodontology and Graduate Periodontics Program Director, at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. He also maintains his visiting/volunteer professor position at the University of Connecticut, USA and Rawal Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan. His editorial and Ad hoc reviewer services extended to more than 15 biomedical and dental journals. He has also served as International Examiner in top universities of Malaysia, Sweden and Sudan. He has written more than 230 papers in peer reviewed dental and Medical journals, along with two books and many chapters written for books published in different countries. His exceptional record has made his name listed among world's top 2% scientist. A list that has been compiled by Ioannidis et al from Stanford University who analysed thousands of articles on the Scopus database until May 2020. The inclusion of Dr Khalid name in the list is a true testimony of his hard work and dedication in field of Dentistry and Research. Dental Tribune Pakistan (DTP) recently spoke to Dr Khalid about his efforts toward the positive representation of Pakistan on global and national dental platforms and about his contribution to the dental profession and research. surprising that he had his library. He gave me some question and would say that these are the books and find out the answer. Sometimes, it will take me a day or at times a week to find the answer to the question. It was more of like an open book exam. Later on, I realised that it was my research training. The questions were usually on the topic of politics, history and religion, and poetry. So I think I had the opportunity to have my initial days of training taught by the parents, good friends, and well-wishers. And I also think it's the conducive environment that we work in. So wherever I worked, I tried to be honest about the place of my work. So my mentor told me that think globally, but locally. And I think I worked on that. So no matter wherever I travel, I try to live in the moment. I was not much futuristic, and I was not much into the past. So I always said that what is in front of us all the challenges we tried to sort it out. And sometimes, I met difficult people in my career like many others the hardships. I wanted to neglect them, ignore them. I found my way to leave them behind. I tried to grow myself under the enormous trees for some time in the past, which was a failure. So I wanted to develop myself as an independent individual like a little plant on my own. And all these things I think have contributed. I am very fond of going to conferences, travelling and that happened a lot. You get the ideas, you collaborate, you teamwork and develop them, and that's how you proceed. DTP: What are the biggest challenges that the field of research is facing in Pakistan? DKA: I think your question is very valid. The challenges are plenty, and I know it for a fact. I have always taken the challenge as an opportunity. Coming back to challenges, during my time in Pakistan, I was doing clinics and teaching simultaneously, and of course, after doing it for a year, I soon realised that I am not doing justice to both of these things. And most of my fellows and colleagues had the same routine; teaching and then doing clinics. And I don't blame them because due to hardships and financial reasons, one is bound to continue. Another thing is that there is a typical mindset. Of course, people's clinical perspective is there, and we have to be clinically competent. But later on, I found that you know that habit of reading every day. I read something before I go to bed. That is still my habit. My children say, why are you wasting your time reading, and I said I am trying to nourish my mind. If I don't read, my mind will be starved during the night before I go to sleep. Every day you learn something, and now you know, Don't fall into the trap of money. Make yourself so much value that money itself will follow you. Throughout my career, I worked on this approach. Alhamdulillah, I am comfortable random information and the bombardment of it during this internet. So I think it isn't easy, but my initial training in research and reading habits helped. So as I have said, many people's part-time academic career in Pakistan and students and faculty's practice and all things. Continued on Page 11