Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne
Pursuing longer and healthier life through the understanding of the biological mechanisms of ageing — from rare genetic variants to pharmacological intervention.
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne, working in Joris Deelen's lab on the functional characterisation and pharmaceutical recapitulation of longevity-associated genetic variants.
My research sits at the intersection of genetics, molecular biology, and pharmacology. I investigate how insulin/IGF-1 and MAPK/ERK signalling pathways regulate healthspan and lifespan — using mouse cohorts, iPSC models, CRISPR engineering, and rare variant analysis in long-lived human populations.
Trained across three countries — Lebanon, the Netherlands, and Germany — I completed my PhD Magna Cum Laude at the University of Cologne under Linda Partridge, and my MSc in Neuroscience at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
I am always happy to discuss opportunities in the longevity space. Science moves fastest in open conversation.
The biology of ageing is not inevitable — it is decipherable and actionable. By tracing the genetic architecture of human longevity and translating those signals into testable pharmacological strategies, we can compress morbidity and extend the years of healthy life.
Tablet V, Epic of Gilgamesh (Cedar Forest)Tablet V places Gilgamesh's Cedar Forest in what is now Lebanon, the country I come from — and I find it fitting to carry that oldest of human questions forward. The fear encoded in that clay, that life is too short and too quickly overtaken by suffering, is the same problem I now pursue with genetics and pharmacology instead of myth: not immortality, but the compression of suffering and the extension of healthy life.
Identify and functionally characterise rare genetic variants enriched in long-lived families enriched for genetic component of longevity — moving from statistical association to mechanistic understanding.
Use geroprotective compounds — rapamycin, trametinib, and emerging targets — to pharmacologically recapitulate the benefits of pro-longevity genotypes in preclinical models.
Rigorously account for sex differences in ageing biology; findings in one sex do not automatically generalise — and that asymmetry is itself informative.
Reduced neuronal insulin/IGF-1 signalling (IIS) extends lifespan in model organisms. My work dissects the sex-specific health consequences of modulating this pathway in mice — identifying both benefits and trade-offs — to inform therapeutic strategies.
Neuron-specific IIS · Sex DifferencesRare variants in MAPK/ERK pathway genes are enriched in long-lived Leiden Longevity Study participants. I functionally characterise these variants in cellular models to understand how they confer resilience against ageing.
Rare Variants · Leiden Longevity StudyRapamycin and trametinib individually extend mouse lifespan. In combination they act additively. I study dosing strategies — including intermittent regimes — to optimise efficacy and safety in ageing cohorts.
Rapamycin · Trametinib · mTOR · MEK