PhD Students
Current
I always knew that I wanted to be a scientist and contribute to the answers of the never ending “whys” of Science. I began with a BSc in Biology where I started to work on an ectopic calcification-related protein. The biomedical potential of that project lead me to take a MSc in Biomedical Sciences, where I’ve acquired a deep interest about the immune system and inflammation-calcification related processes. After my MSc thesis I started working with marine bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential and decided that I wanted to shift my research field and combine my skills in molecular biology and proteomics to research related with infection and the host-microbe relationship. I found projects done at KAUST exploring Aiptasia as a model organism for coral symbiosis extremely interesting. Thus I decided to enroll in a PhD project where I focus on the interaction between the anemone and its microbiome from a cellular and molecular point of view.
My current interest is the relationship between Aiptasia and its microbiome by studying potential intervenients involved in the selection of the holobiont’s microbiota. I also aim to use the microbiome as a tools for genetic engineering of the host organism.