Olfa Messaoud
AGYA Alumni Jointly building bridges into the future
About me
I work as an Assistant Professor at the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, where I am responsible for the Genetic Disease Diagnostic Unit and investigate rare genetic disorders, particularly DNA-repair diseases. My research interests follow two primary strands. First, I aim to identify the genetic basis of undiagnosed photogenodermatoses, and second, I focus on developing new tools for molecular biology applications using advanced materials and nanotechnology. My involvement in many multidisciplinary research projects made me aware of the common challenges that researchers face globally and motivated me to join AGYA.
For me, AGYA represents an open window to the world that promotes research exchange on an interdisciplinary level and strengthens international collaboration.
More specifically, it gives me the chance to link my current field of research with the social sciences and humanities, in order to conduct research on ethical and social issues related to human genetics and genomics. It also pushes me to achieve innovative research via collaborative interaction with other disciplines.
Academic career
2019 - today | Member of the ‘DNA Repair Interest Group’ of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA |
2018 - today | Member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities |
2015 - today | Member of the Network of Experts in Support of International Research and Innovation Projects (NESRI), Tunisia |
2014 - today | Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia |
2011 - 2014 | Postdoctoral Researcher in the Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia |
2010 | 2nd place in the 13th Sanofi-Aventis Award for Medical Research for the work: ‘Epidemiological, clinical and genetic study of Xeroderma pigmentosum in Tunisia: Implications for molecular diagnosis’ |
2007 - 2010 | Ph.D. in ‘Molecular Investigation of Genetic Orphan Diseases’, Research Unit, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia |
2006 | M.Sc. in ‘Molecular Investigation of Genetic Orphan Diseases’, Research Unit, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia |
- My Commitment to AGYA
- Former AGYA Co-President (2022-2023)
- Former Member in Charge of the Working Group 'Health and Society'
- Selection Committee 'New AGYA Members' (2021, 2022)
- Former Member of the AGYA Steering Committee (2021-2022)
On a personal note
Favourite novel:
The Remedy by the Recognition of the Rights of the Chosen One by Qadi Ayyad
The scientist from my country you should know:
Ibn Khaldoun