Plans & Prospects 2023

50 or 100 years. The things we’re doing
now were just dreams back then. But
I know that’s very difficult for families
and patients to keep in mind. There isn’t
a single family who won’t be impacted
in some way by these diseases and
it’s about time we all come together
as scientists, government and as a
community to do something about it
From Sheffield to Harvard
After my undergraduate degree in
Iraq, I gained exposure to science and
clinical practice in the Middle East. Then,
after my further degrees in Sheffield, I
went on to do my first post-doctoral
fellowship at Harvard Medical School
and Boston Children’s Hospital, before
finding myself here at Oxford.
It’s important for me to count myself
as a global citizen. With my varied
academic experiences in different
parts of the world, I feel I have a good
understanding of what it takes to
communicate and achieve in science
in the East and West. When I was in
Mosul, the clinical aspect there was
quite good, similar to India and Pakistan.
If you look into our NHS here, much
of the leadership is from India, Pakistan,
the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Yet when I came back to Sheffield for
my Masters and PhD, I could see that
the research facilities available to me in
Mosul were not as advanced as we have
here. Then when I wanted to develop
my independence and take my next
steps, it felt important to go to the
places “where the sausage is made,”
like Harvard and Oxford.
“You need to dream big but
remember the hard work that it
takes to get there”
Below: During his post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School
Alumni profile
It was a big jump to go from Sheffield
Hallam University to somewhere with
such a brand like Harvard or Oxford,
but for me, it’s not about doing branded
science. It’s about doing the right science
with the right people in the right,
supportive environment. It’s all about the
research. If my research question could
be answered better in a different city,
then I’d go there without hesitation.
So for a Yorkshire lad, the red brick, Ivy
League and golden triangle were quite
a scary experience. I think it always
comes down to the motivation of a
person and the support around them,
and I’ve always had such a supportive
team around me. And I was driven to
achieve and leave my own mark. Harvard
was such a stimulating environment, not
just because of the university itself, but
because Boston is such a special city. It’s
a biotech hub of the world with Harvard,
MIT and all the big biotech pharmas.
Everyone’s firing with all cylinders so it’s
a really different pace.
When I came to Oxford, I knew I
had to be associated with a college.
I joined during Covid and what I was
really searching for was a community.
I found that in Wolfson. I was looking
for a college that aligned well with my
vision and values. In my research about
Wolfson, I came across the college
motto: “humani nil alienum,” or “nothing
human is alien to me,” and that’s exactly
23