In 2013, Yasser Tabana was displaced from his small town in the countryside of Damascus because of war and instability in Syria.
"The war in Syria affected everyone," says Tabana.
"It was not easy; I had a lot of friends studying together in the pharmacy faculty (at Arab International University) in Syria. I don't know if they are still alive or not."
Tabana shared a dream with his classmates of studying and gaining international research experience. To fulfil his dream, Tabana moved to Malaysia to pursue a master's degree in pharmaceutical sciences before arriving in Canada, where he completed a PhD in the Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta.
"There were many challenges, but I acquired essential knowledge, and these experiences have shaped who I am today."
While studying under the supervision of Khaled Barakat, Tabana was a part of a larger collaborative U of A team that focused on research to develop a small molecule in the form of a drug that engages with the human immune system to fight cancer and viral diseases.
"We're not targeting cancer cells themselves," says Tabana. "We're trying to mobilize the immune system where cells can actually fight the cancer."
The drug would be inexpensive and easy to synthesize, unlike current immune system medications on the market.
Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher, Tabana is working in the Department of Biochemistry in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry under the supervision of Richard Fahlman to develop a blood test for diagnosing autoimmune diseases.
"Our team has identified certain biomarkers in patients with myasthenia gravis and is currently working on identifying biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis," says Tabana.
Testing for these protein biomarkers will help clinicians identify sick patients while avoiding time-intensive diagnostic methods.
"There is great potential in this project," says Tabana. "A good diagnosis is the first step to better serve our patients."
