Biography
Biography: Dr. Osama is a molecular biologist and bioinformatician with extensive expertise in molecular diagnostics, viral genomics, and bacterial resistance profiling. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, with a research focus on the molecular characterization of Hepatitis B and D viruses in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis. He holds an M.Sc. in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, specializing in Medical Biotechnology, and a B.Sc. in Biotechnology. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Osama has developed advanced skills in molecular techniques including PCR, real-time PCR, and sequencing, as well as serological methods such as ELISA and IFA. He is also well-versed in phylogenetic analysis and laboratory training. Dr. Osama has played a leading role in organizing capacity-building workshops across Sudan and has made significant contributions to enhancing molecular diagnostic capabilities in clinical virology and microbiology.
Research Interests
- Hepatitis virus genotyping and pathogenesis
- Detection of antimicrobial resistance genes (e.g., mcr, bla, qnr)
- Molecular surveillance of emerging pathogens
- Molecular diagnostics for clinical virology and microbiology
- Genetic epidemiology and public health virology
Notable Achievements
- Published 15+ peer-reviewed articles in international journals (e.g., Infection, IJID, Tropical Animal Health and Production)
- Establish COVID-19 Molecular Diagnostic Lab (2020)
- Led molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics training in Sudan for over a decade
- Co-authored molecular surveillance studies on AMR and HBV/HDV co-infection
- Developed training modules and workshops on PCR, sequencing, and data analysis
Collaborations
- Collaborative HBV and HDV research with the University of Essen and Hanover University, Germany
- Collaborative HBV and HDV research with the Hepatitis Delta International Network (HDIN)
- Collaborative HBV and HDV research with the Ankara University, Turkey, and Koc University Istanbul, Turkey
- Training and diagnostics collaboration with the National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Sudan
- Principal investigator in studies on: Occult HBV and HDV prevalence in high-risk groups; Detection of mcr genes in Gram-negative isolates; Molecular characterization of virulence genes in Pseudomonas and Klebsiella
- Co-investigator in several unpublished works on Enterobacteriaceae resistance and Staphylococcus virulence genes