NMD4C

I was amazed by the idea that populations of tissue-resident cells maintain and repair the body throughout life, and how drastic the consequences of impaired stem cell-mediated regeneration can be to an individual. It made me consider that understanding stem cell biology could help towards the development of new therapies for incurable conditions, such as many neuromuscular disorders…

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…