Staff profile

During the CSIRO postdoc fellowship, I will be using integrative genomics (transcriptomics, epigenomics, methylomics) to understand the molecular basis of onset of sexual maturation in Atlantic Salmon with a view to developing novel approaches to assist management of the unwanted early maturation within the Atlantic salmon industry. I am working closely with Dr James Kijas within the northern aquaculture group.

I completed my PhD in November 2016 at the Comparative Genomics Centre and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies of James Cook University, north Queensland. During my PhD studies, I was interested in understanding the molecular cross-talk between corals and micro-algae at the transcriptional level. I used next-gen sequencing (Illumina RNA-Seq) to understand interactions between coral larvae and competent Symbiodinium during infection, towards a better understanding of mechanisms underpinning establishment of coral-Symbiodinium. I also explored the poorly understood association between Australian corals and a newly discovered alga called Chromera using RNA-Seq. Finally, I assembled a de novo transcriptome for Chromera strain isolated from a GBR coral and used a comparative transcriptomic approach to examine sharing of functions and pathways among Chromera, Symbiodinium and Plasmodium. I was working closely with Prof David Miller and under co-supervision of Prof Bette Willis and Dr David Bourne.

Before coming to Australia, I did BSc in Zoology in 2006 and MSc in Marine Biology in 2011 at Benha University in Egypt where I was working as assistant lecturer and studied coral diseases/bleaching in the Egyptian Red Sea.