Sara Omar Email & Phone Number

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

- Creating models of the SARS-CoV2 programmed ribosomal frameshifting element for targeting against COVID-19.- Virtual screening of FDA approved drugs to identify inhibitors of the SARS-CoV2 frameshifting element for experimental validation.- Virtual screening and optimization of novel inhibitors of the SARS-CoV2 frameshifting element.

Edmonton, Canada Area

- Assisted in the development of the company's proprietary Pharmaceutical Platform Technology (PPT) to help formulate novel botanical pharmaceuticals.- Collaborated on developing the company's platform algorithms using Github.- Developed an algorithm to construct the pain signalling network to identify target genes.- Used python and SQL to develop an herbal database

- Prediction of mutant p53-plakoglobin protein-protein complex structure using co-threading and accelerated molecular dynamics.- Virtual screening for novel compounds to mimic the plakoglobin interaction with mutant p53 to restore the latter protein's wild-type activity for treatment of cancer.- Suggestion of residues for mutation in site-directed mutagenesis experiments for validation of the predicted complex.

Cross Cancer Institute

- Finalized my PhD thesis entitled “From activation to inhibition: p53 and PNKP as targets for cancer therapy”.- Modelled mutant variants of the transcription factor, p53.- Virtually screened databases to find small molecule activators that can restore the wild-type activity to the mutant protein.- As a member of the Alberta DNA Repair Consortium team, we modelled a DNA repair enzyme called polynucleotide kinase phosphatase (PNKP). The aim of this project is to use PNKP inhibitors for combination cancer therapy.- Used pharmacophore-assisted docking to find inhibitors of PNKP.- Published 8 articles in peer-reviewed journals and assisted in grant writing.- Supervised and mentored an MSc student and trained junior graduate students.

- Modelled a calcium binding protein called Calbindin D28k.- Analyzed the protein's structure to understand the underlying mechanism of competition between zinc and calcium ions binding to the protein. This competition is known to have implications in Alzheimer's disease.Courses taught:- Chemical Energetics and dynamics: Macroscopic descriptions (CHEM 2290)- Physical Chemistry: Microscopic descriptions of Matter (CHEM 2280)- University I Chemistry: Structure and Modeling in Chemistry (CHEM 1300)- Assistant in Chemistry Resource Center for first year Chemistry students

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Oncology And Cancer Biology

Master'S Degree, Chemistry, Gpa 4.33

Activities and Societies: Volunteer for “Let’s Talk Science”, an organization focused on education and outreach to support youth.

Bachelor Of Pharmacy And Biotechnology, Pharmacy, High Honours

Activities and Societies: - Member of the Children’s program in “Ashanek ya Baladi (AYB)-GUC” - Member of the “Discovery Toolbox”.