Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University
Chicago, United States
Aalaa Abdallah, MS, is a PhD candidate and Master of Public Health student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Abdallah works in the lab of Xiao-Nan Li, MD, PhD, Director of Pediatric Xenograft Modeling with Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, and a Professor of Pediatrics and Rachelle and Mark Gordon Endowed Professorship in Cancer Research with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the mechanisms through which pediatric high-grade glioma “oncohistones” contribute to gliomagenesis. Specifically, her project uses genetically engineered mouse models of pediatric high-grade glioma to elucidate the transcriptomic and histopathological effects of the H3.3G34R mutation in the context of common co-occurring mutations. Her long-term goals are to utilize both her PhD and Master of Public Health to conduct basic science and transitional research, which informs the development of new therapies, and advocate for equitable distribution of biomedical treatments.