NMD4C

Growing up, I was not sure what career I wanted to pursue. As such, I chose a general psychology degree to focus on, and part way through discovered my passion for neurosciences…

I was born and raised in Lebanon. From a young age, I knew medicine was my dream career. Thankfully I reached this goal by obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery from the Beirut Arab University in 2011…

Back in 2011, my introduction to Neuromuscular Disorders (NMD) research happened by chance when I joined as a temporary research associate in a Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) project under the supervision of Prof. Atchayaram Nalini, an accomplished neurologist and NMD specialist in South India..

I became interested in muscle biology during undergrad, and I am still amazed and excited by how one simple function like muscle contraction can involve such genetic and cellular complexity. After graduation, I knew I wanted to work in research, but wasn’t ready to go as far as doing a PhD…

I started my lab in April 2016, even though it feels like yesterday. When I look back at these last four years, I realize the tremendous amount of work that needs to be done to set up a lab…

When the first COVID-19  lockdown happened (March 17th for us in the UK), it was so sudden and drastic that the next few months were simply a whirlwind…

As I write this blog, I remember starting my Master’s degree under the supervision of Dr. Bernard Brais and telling him I would never do a PhD. After two years as a research assistant, I decided to pursue a PhD and here I am today…

August 1, 2020 marked my lab’s first birthday. The last 366 days have been quite a roller coaster ride (it was even a leap year!). Having to build a lab from scratch is no easy task. I was literally given a room with…

What motivates us to do what we do? As I reflect on these last few weeks, walking alongside a young family whose long-awaited firstborn was diagnosed with SMA by newborn screening as they struggle with the diagnosis and stress of lumbar punctures every 2 weeks in addition to the challenges of being new parents…

I was born and raised in France. I finished my MD there and then I turned my eyes to Canada after meeting my lovely wife where I completed my training in neurology at Laval University. I did an elective in child neurology and decided to complete my training at McGill University. 3 mentors oriented my choices and career…