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Safa Salim
Master's Student
Safa Salim
Master's Student
Entity
Qatar Biomedical Research Institute
Divison
Neurological Disorders Research Center
Biography
Safa Salim graduated with a major in Biological Sciences and minor in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University Qatar in 2017. She joined the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program in Hamad Bin Khalifa University to obtain her Masters and PhD.
During her undergraduate studies, Safa was involved in several research projects, which include: examining gene expression in development and regeneration of the sea star Patiria Miniata at Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, USA; analyzing the role of DNAJB3/HSP-40 co-chaperone in regulating glucose homeostasis and insulin signaling at QBRI; comparing the protein profiles of Arthrobacter Phage (Sand Phage) and Mycobacterium Smegmatis Phage (Soil Phage) at Carnegie Mellon University Qatar; and expressing, purifying, and characterizing the transcription factors Sox7 and Sox17 HMG domain and its mutant at QBRI.
- Currently, Safa is working on her thesis project with Dr. Omar El-Agnaf; the project focuses on engineering antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in neurodegenerative diseases.
- It is specifically aimed at developing immunotherapy for the a-synucleinopathies wherein aggregation of the protein a-synuclein seems to cause neurodegeneration.
- This involves constructing, expressing, purifying, and characterizing conformation specific antibodies against a-synuclein.