Sarah Boucenna
Master’s Student

Dental Sciences

Email: sarah.boucenna@mail.mcgill.ca

Education Background:

Pharmacy Degree, Faculty of Pharmacy, Algiers University, Algiers, Algeria

Favourite Lab Equipment:

Tangential Flow Filtration system

Research Projects and Interests:

My research project focuses on the assessment of extracellular vesciles (EVs) as potential therapeutic tool to increase Beta cell function and modulate the immune cells through protein and nucleic acid delivery systems. EVs are nanoparticles released by mammalian cells. Their particularity is their ability to carry bilogically active molecules that have been shown to have an effect on the target cell. This raises the question of how we can use beta-cell derived EVs to modify the phenotype of target cells (in this case, beta cells and antigen presenting cells), which I am aiming to find out in my research project.

  • Graduate Excellence Award (2023)

  • BSc Thesis project (2021-2022)

    "Assessing the value of auto-antibodies anti-GAD and anti-islets as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes"

  • Laboratory Intern Algiers, Algeria Military Central Hospital July 2021-May 2022

    Parasitology laboratory: Using microscopy, immunological techniques and molecular biology to study and identify pathogenic protozoa.

    Biochemistry laboratory: Measure different biomarkers in various types of samples for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic diseases and endocrinopathies.

    Research Assitant Algiers, Algeria Laboratory of Microbiology, Pediatric ward, Beni Messous Hospital 2020-July 2021

    Studied antibiotic resistance in patients suffering from nosocomial infections.

    Participated in the diagnosis and monitoring of viral infections.

    Laboratory Intern Algiers, Algeria

    Laboratory of immunology, Beni Messous Hospital 2020-July 2021

    Evaluating the prognostic value of the immune-inflammatory biomarkers(IL6, CRP, IL2Rα, PCT, ferritine) in COVID-19.