Ahlam Ali

I have a BSc Hons in Pharmacy and obtained a PhD in molecular cancer biology

within the school of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) in the UK. My

independent research and management skills have progressed through the

completion of my masters, PhD, and postdoctoral training. During my 15 years of

research career, I have been employed in research fellow positions, during which

I have developed and maintained expertise in wide range of techniques. The

majority of my research experience has been in the fields of molecular, cellular

and cancer biology, with key research expertise in cancer nanomedicine and the

development of novel delivery strategies for drugs and gene therapies. technically

adept in a range of techniques, including cell culture (pro- and eukaryotic),

western blotting, RT-PCR, molecular cloning and flow cytometry. I am also highly

proficient in the utilisation of small rodent models of disease. Regarding

pharmacology, I have utilised both small molecule (e.g. receptor (ant)agonists)

and genetic (siRNA, gene overexpression, CRISPR/Cas9) methods as appropriate

to manipulate cells and tissues to improve understanding of the mechanism of

action of a drug/peptide

I have a BSc Hons in Pharmacy and obtained a PhD in molecular cancer biology

within the school of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) in the UK. My

independent research and management skills have progressed through the

completion of my masters, PhD, and postdoctoral training. During my 15 years of

research career, I have been employed in research fellow positions, during which

I have developed and maintained expertise in wide range of techniques. The

majority of my research experience has been in the fields of molecular, cellular

and cancer biology, with key research expertise in cancer nanomedicine and the

development of novel delivery strategies for drugs and gene therapies. technically

adept in a range of techniques, including cell culture (pro- and eukaryotic),

western blotting, RT-PCR, molecular cloning and flow cytometry. I am also highly

proficient in the utilisation of small rodent models of disease. Regarding

pharmacology, I have utilised both small molecule (e.g. receptor (ant)agonists)

and genetic (siRNA, gene overexpression, CRISPR/Cas9) methods as appropriate

to manipulate cells and tissues to improve understanding of the mechanism of

action of a drug/peptide

I am In addition to my experience in the research setting, I have gained significant

industrial experience, and been involved in industrial collaborations and able to

engage across these sectors in a highly productive manner. I was employed on an

Invest NI Proof of Concept grant and led this project exceptionally well on a day to-

day basis and engaged in the commercialization aspects of this project very

effectively. In addition, my integral work on physiochemical characterization to

the full development of a novel peptide, RALA that is used for delivery of numerous

anionic cargoes has recently formed the basis of a spin-out company from QUB,

Phion Therapeutics. I was also involved in the characterisation of peptide

therapeutic, ALM201. ALM201 has strong anti-angiogenic activity and is currently

being assessed clinically in patients with ovarian cancer by Almac Discovery in the

UK.

During my research career, I have designed, developed, and implemented many

of research projects. I was the lead scientist on a project to successfully develop

and progress a novel HPV DNA vaccine from inception through to pre-clinical

testing for cervical cancer.

I fulfil lab management responsibilities in my current role, being the most senior

member of research staff in the lab. I provided training and mentorship to many students at

both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I am involved in practical

demonstration, tutorials, level 4 undergraduate pharmacy student’s final year

projects and seminars within the school of pharmacy. Lab management duties

include ensuring smooth day-to-day running of the lab, maintenance of

equipment, responsibility for management of stock and ordering of lab

consumables, with consequent overseeing of budgets. I have planned many

projects, for which I have applied for and received funding as a leading

investigator for international collaboration between 4 countries of the Middle East

and the UK. I am proud that I took the initiative to apply for COVID-19 grant to

study drug repurposing for COVID-19. This competitive award opened the door

for further projects to be funded with total investment of £2.2 million.

As a senior researcher, I gained sufficient knowledge, management and

communication skills, and my achievements have been acknowledged through

several national and international awards. I have H-index of 17 and over 920

citations (Scholar). I have been named as a co- investigator on numerous

successful grant applications, and hold a patent for anti-Viral therapy-2103803.9.

I have excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills. I have

communicated complex research material to audiences from diverse backgrounds,

including healthcare professionals, colleagues and collaborators, members of the

public and funders.