In 2013, Yasser Tabana was displaced from his small town in rural Damascus due to war and instability in Syria.
“The war in Syria has affected everyone,” says Tabana.
“It wasn’t easy; I had a lot of friends studying together at the pharmacy school (at the Arab International University) in Syria. I don’t know if they are still alive or not.”
Tabana shared his dream of studying and gaining experience in international research with his colleagues. To fulfill his dream, Tabana moved to Malaysia to pursue a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences before arriving in Canada, where he completed his doctorate at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta.
“There were many challenges, but I gained essential knowledge and these experiences shaped who I am today.”
While studying under the supervision of Khaled Barakat, Tabana was part of a larger collaborative team at the U of A that focused on research to develop a small molecule in the form of a drug that would interact with the human immune system to combat cancer and viral diseases. .
“We don’t target the cancer cells themselves,” says Tabana. “We’re trying to mobilize the immune system so that cells can actually fight cancer.”
The drug would be cheap and easy to synthesize, unlike current immune system drugs on the market.
Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher, Tabana works in the Department of Biochemistry at the School of Medicine and 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 doctors identify sick patients while avoiding time-consuming diagnostic methods.
“There is great potential in this project,” says Tabana. “A good diagnosis is the first step to better serving our patients.”
In addition to being a dedicated researcher, Tabana is also a passionate educator. He taught undergraduate pharmacy students and was appointed professor at the U of A’s Peter Lougheed Leadership College, where he was introduced to experiential learning, effective teaching approaches and aspects of adaptive leadership.
“I’m very grateful for the University of Alberta,” he says. “The knowledge and experience I have acquired and continue to acquire are remarkable.”
In particular, Tabana credits Barakat for the “incredible guidance” he experienced during his doctoral studies.
“He always encouraged me to attend conferences, participate in workshops, do volunteer work and grow not just as a scientist, but as a well-rounded individual.”
Tabana has received numerous awards and scholarships, including the Alberta Innovates Scholarship, the Graduate Student Association Recognition Award, the Antoine Noujaim Graduate Scholarship, the Shire Canada Inc. Graduate Award, the Training for Teachers and the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship.
