Essam M. Abdelalim, PhD

Dr. Abdelalim is a Principal Investigator at Sidra Medicine, where he leads the Laboratory of Pluripotent Stem Cell Disease Modeling. He earned his PhD in Medical Science from Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan. Subsequently, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship and assumed the role of Assistant Professor at the same University. Before joining Sidra, he held the position of Senior Scientist at QBRI until February 2024. Notably, he established Qatar's first pluripotent stem cell program focused to diabetes research. His team successfully generated multiple iPSC lines from healthy and diseased individuals and developed advanced protocols to enhance the differentiation of stem cells into pancreatic islets, insulin-target cells, and other cell types. He played a key role as Chair of the HSCI-QBRI Steering Committee Agreement, coordinating collaborative efforts between the HSCI and QBRI in stem cell and diabetes research. Also, Dr. Abdelalim serves on the editorial boards of "Stem Cells Translational Medicine” and "Stem Cells and Development". He has authored over 75 peer-reviewed articles and has received numerous research grants and honors for his contributions to the field. Dr. Abdelalim also holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor at HBKU, where he teaches "Stem Cell Biology" and mentors graduate students.

Located within the dynamic environment of Sidra Medicine, our laboratory is dedicated to unraveling the intricate disease mechanisms underlying diabetes and rare genetic disorders using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Leveraging iPSC technology alongside state-of-the-art gene editing and omics approaches, we strive to dissect the molecular intricacies of these diseases. By collaborating closely with clinicians at Sidra Medicine, we have unique access to patients presenting specific mutations or variants implicated in these conditions. This invaluable clinical insight allows us to generate disease-relevant iPSC models, faithfully recapitulating patient-specific phenotypes in a controlled laboratory setting. We differentiate patient-specific iPSCs and gene-edited hPSCs, along with isogenic controls, into relevant cell types to explore how genetic factors influence disease onset and progression. Our multidisciplinary approach enables a deeper understanding of the molecular drivers behind these conditions. Ultimately, our research endeavors focus on identifying novel therapeutic targets, facilitating the development of precision treatments tailored to meet individual patient needs and making significant contributions to the field of personalized healthcare and regenerative medicine.

Ahmed K. Abdelaal, PhD
Staff Scientist
Email: AAbdelaal1(@) sidra.org

Simona Ghanem, PhD
Senior Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: SGhanem (@) sidra.org

Yasmin Abu Aqel, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: YAbuAqel (@) sidra.org

Idil Ahmed, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: IAhmed5 (@) sidra.org

Karim Shalaby, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: KShalaby (@) sidra.org

Yusra Manzoor, MSc
Research Specialist II
Email: YManzoor (@) sidra.org

Tara Al-Barazenji, MSc
Research Specialist I
Email: TAlBarazenji (@) sidra.org