Sanaa El-Sayed, an assistant lecturer at the Department of Geology - Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, who is on scholarship for a PhD at the University of Michigan, USA, won the American Association of Women's Award for the year 2023.

Sanaa El-Sayed is a member of the scientific team "Salam Lab", which is led by Prof. Hisham Salam, founder of Mansoura University Center for Vertebrate Paleontology. The American Association of University Women is one of the oldest American institutions supporting women in various fields of science since its inception in 1888. The Association grants annually a limited number of awards to support scientific research for international students in American institutions, and requires the originality of research points and their ability to bring about a change in understanding different sciences.

It is noteworthy that Sana El-Sayed, Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Geology - Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, who is on a PhD scholarship at the University of Michigan, USA, is the first Egyptian researcher to lead an international research in the field of vertebrate fossils in Egypt and the Middle East. She has published more than 10 peer-reviewed research papers published in the best international scientific journals. She participated in about 30 research abstracts in international and local conferences. She is currently arbitrating several grants for the National Geographic Authority and the International Vertebrate Paleontology Society. She also participated in more than 40 expeditions, in search of vertebrate fossils in Egypt and the United States of America.

Sana El-Sayed was honored by the President of Egypt at the National Conference for Scientific Research and Unleashing the Egyptians' Potential Abilities for the year 2018, She received a scholarship from the American Fulbright Commission, she also received a scholarship from the Egyptian government to study a doctorate in the United States of America. She was part of the team who discovered Mansourasaurus. That was honored by the Egyptian Presidency and the Ministry of Higher Education, and many local and international organizations and bodies. She reached the final stage of the L'Oréal grant - affiliated with UNESCO for Women in Science. She participated in many international conferences to present her experience and the challenges she faced at the beginning of her career in this field rare specialty.