Ghazal A.

Experience

• 

  Newcastle University

  Sept 2014 - now

  • Laboratory Demonstrator

    Mar 2015 - now

  • Researcher

    Sept 2014 - Jun 2023
• 

  The Brilliant Club

  Oct 2016 - now

  Senior Lecturer
• 

  The University of British Columbia

  Jun 2023 - now

  Working alongside a talented team of professionals at Professor MacVicar's lab to discover drug delivery systems to the brain using different LNP formulations and working towards novel therapeutic proteins targeted to the brain after TBI/SCI or stroke as well as rare and hereditary neurodegenerative disease such as Gaucher's disease. This exciting project involves cross-departmental collaborations and aims to provide a novel technology platform for drug delivery/enzyme replacement therapy across the BBB. We are utilizing transgenic mouse models to inject the proposed mRNA construct along with the LNP cargo at different time intervals and consider optimal dose-dependent response through ICV and IT injections. The mRNA sequence encoding for functional protein is engineered in vitro followed by codon optimization. The optimized mRNA is incorporated into the LNP cargo ready for functional assays and subjected for in vivo delivery to the mouse brain. The cytotoxicity of different aspects of the construct and cell tropism is assessed. Immunogenicity, the genomic uptake and endogenous release of proteins are measured through CSF collection and cytokine analysis. We aim to set pre-clinical studies to discover the efficacy and optimal time window for therapeutic proteins + BDNF to be effective in alleviating brain damage after injury. Show less

  • Research Associate

    Jun 2023 - now

  • Researcher

    Jun 2023 - now