I graduated with a B.Sc. with honour from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt where the syllabus is wide-ranging covering Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Chemistries (organic, inorganic, analytical, and medicinal), and basic medical sciences (anatomy, histology, physiology, microbiology). 

Based on my undergraduate performance, I accepted the offer to work as a Demonstrator (Associate Lecturer later on) at the medicinal chemistry department, Faculty of pharmacy, Assiut University. The main duties were the preparation, tutoring, and marking of medicinal chemistry course for 3rd and final year students. During this period, I have the chance to complete my master’s degree in medicinal chemistry in the same department.

Based on my performance, I was awarded a full scholarship by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and decided to pursue graduate studies toward a PhD degree at University of Waterloo, Canada. During my PhD studies, I have acquired excellent training in different types of chemistries in particular peptide synthesis as well as peptide and protein purification. 

My main projects during the PhD program are to develop a facile method for the Fmoc-solid phase peptide (Fmoc-SPPS) synthesis of challenging sulfated and sulfonated peptides. As a PhD student, I had the chance to demonstrate several chemistry courses at the Chemistry Department. 

I joined Dr. Andrew Woolley’s Lab (Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto) for my postdoctoral fellowship. My main project is to control protein folding/unfolding via light. The photocontrol of a particular protein can be achieved chemically through linking a photosensitive moiety, azobenzene crosslinker, to the protein. Alternatively, one can create a chimera between the protein of interest and a naturally light sensitive protein (photoactive yellow protein). I pursued both avenues during my postdoctoral fellow.