About
I am a physician-scientist. During my clinical research fellowship at Rady Children's Hospital and UC San Diego, I began asking why some children process sound differently. That question led me to doctoral research at Florida State University, where I study how disruptions in auditory brainstem circuits contribute to the sensory challenges seen in Fragile X Syndrome and other neurodevelopmental conditions. I aim to translate these findings into better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for children and their families.
Core Competencies
Education
PhD in NeuroscienceIn Progress
Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL
2026 (Expected)
Dissertation: Mechanisms of auditory neurodevelopment in Fragile X syndrome models
Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Clinical Research
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
2014
MBBS in Medicine & Surgery
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2009
Research Experience
Clinical Research Experience
Clinical Experience
Family Practice Observership
ProHealth Care Medical Group, United States
Four-week observership in family practice with U.S. licensed attending physicians.
Pediatric Neurology Observership
Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA
18-month observership in inpatient and outpatient pediatric neurology, with experience across multidisciplinary care delivery models.
Supervised Clinical Rotation, Pediatrics
Inglewood Management Clinic, Chicago, IL
Four-week pediatric rotation supervised by licensed U.S. attending physicians in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Supervised Clinical Rotation, Pediatrics
St. Patrick's Family Health Center, Chicago, IL
Four-week pediatric rotation supervised by licensed U.S. attending physicians in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Internship Rotation, Pediatric Genetics
King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Two-month rotation in pediatric genetics as part of a 12-month full-time internship in core medical specialties.
Internship Rotation, Pediatric Neurology
King Fahd Medical City, Neuroscience Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Two-month rotation in pediatric neurology as part of a 12-month full-time internship in core medical specialties.
Grant and Funding Experience
- Lead author and contributor on competitive neuroscience grant applications
- Authored and maintained IRB protocols, regulatory compliance documentation, and research administration materials across multiple neuroscience studies.
- Owned protocol design and regulatory submissions for preclinical and translational projects; coordinated with institutional review and compliance teams end-to-end.
Leadership and Mentorship
- Directly supervise a team of 8 lab members (undergraduate researchers, medical trainees, and junior staff): hire, evaluate, assign work, and train on experimental design, imaging workflows, data analysis, and scientific communication.
- Outreach Coordinator, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Association, FSU College of Medicine (2022–2023): led department-wide outreach and engagement programming across the biomedical sciences graduate student body.
- Protocol ownership: design and maintain experimental protocols, regulatory documentation, and lab SOPs for ongoing grant-funded research.
- Manage day-to-day laboratory operations, project timelines, and resource planning across concurrent studies.
- Lead interdisciplinary research collaborations across neuroscience, audiology, and pediatric health.
- Mentor trainees on manuscript preparation, conference abstract development, and scientific presentation.
Certifications
- HIPAA Certification (2026)
- CITI Program Certification: Human Subjects Protection, HIPAA & Health Information Privacy and Security (HIPS) (2020)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics (2016)
- Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association (2016)
- Research Aspects of HIPAA Certification, University of California, San Diego (2013)
- Basic HIPAA Online Training Certificate, Advanced Colleges of America (2012)
- U.S. Pre-Clinical Healthcare Acculturation Certificate, Advanced Colleges of America (2012)
- House Officers Orientation Course (Major Medical and Surgical Skills), King Abdulaziz University (2009)
Professional Memberships
- Society for Neuroscience (2022)
- Association for Research in Otolaryngology (2022)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (2019)
- AmeriClerkships Medical Society (2012)
- Saudi Cancer Foundation (2009)
Technical Skills
Statistical & Data Analysis: SAS, SPSS, GraphPad Prism, Python
Data Management: REDCap electronic data capture, clinical data workflows
Laboratory: Confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry, histology, quantitative image analysis, western blot, brain slice, mGluR5
Research Compliance: IRB protocol writing, HIPAA training, CITI certification, regulatory compliance
Languages
Community Service
Volunteer
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County
Helped serve Thanksgiving meals to families in need.
After-School Program Volunteer
Child Creativity Lab
Supported after-school programs for underserved communities, advancing divergent thinking, problem solving, and innovation through creative play.
Volunteer
19th Annual All Kids & Family Health Fair, Chicago, IL
Health Educator
Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, Saudi Arabia
Provided community health education and public awareness of breast cancer.
Airport Emergency Drill Master
Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia