Amira Abdelrasoul
Amira Abdelrasoul | |
|---|---|
| Born | Egypt |
| Occupation(s) | Associate professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | Hemodialysis membrane science and nanotechnology research |
Amira Abdelrasoul serves as an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, where she directs the Hemodialysis Membrane Science and Nanotechnology Research Centre.[1] She is acknowledged as a prominent figure in Canadian membrane technology, specializing in overcoming obstacles related to hemodialysis systems.[2]
Early years and education
Abdelrasoul obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Alexandria University in Egypt. She then completed a Master of Science at Kuwait University and earned her PhD from Ryerson University (currently known as Toronto Metropolitan University) in Canada, where she also conducted postdoctoral research. She holds professional engineering certifications from both Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS).
Career
Her professional journey began in 2000 as a research assistant at American Engineering Consultants affiliated with Saudi Aramco. In 2002, she worked as an R&D polymer process engineer at Kuwait Polyurethane Industry. Between 2005 and 2008, Abdelrasoul engaged in research and teaching positions at Kuwait's College of Engineering and Petroleum as well as the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. She joined J Composites Inc. in Canada as a product development engineer in 2008.
During her PhD studies, starting in 2011, she was a teaching assistant at Ryerson University, progressing to lecturer and postdoctoral research associate by 2015. Abdelrasoul became an assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan in 2017 and was promoted to associate professor in 2022.[2] At this institution, she leads the Hemodialysis Membrane Science and Nanotechnology Research Centre.[1]
In 2019, Abdelrasoul contributed to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Peer Review Committee for Project Grants,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and in 2020, she co-chaired the Exploration Multidisciplinary Review Panel for the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), administered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
She holds associate memberships with various research organizations including the Biomedical Engineering Division and Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name alongside affiliations with the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning, Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the Kidney Health and Disease (M3K) Committee. Abdelrasoul is also a member of the organizing committee for the 2023 pan-Canadian M3K Meeting held in Montreal.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Since 2018, she has been involved with the Membrane Technology Design Projects Client for the University of Toronto’s Engineering Strategies and Practice Course (ESP) APS112/APS113. In 2022, she joined the editorial board of Scientific Reports.
Abdelrasoul completed a University Teaching Development Professional Program accredited by SEDA (UK), is a certified Instructional Skills and Educational Development Facilitator, and holds Fellowship status with SEDA (FSEDA).[2]
She established and currently chairs the Women in Engineering (WIE) chapter within her department at the University of Saskatchewan since 2018, advocating for equity, diversity, inclusion, mentorship, and leadership advancement among female engineering students.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Hemodialysis Membrane Research
At the University of Saskatchewan, Abdelrasoul established the first Canadian program dedicated to hemodialysis membrane research. Her multidisciplinary efforts focus on minimizing complications and mortality rates among hemodialysis patients, enhancing the quality of life for individuals with kidney failure, and reducing the financial burden of dialysis treatments on healthcare systems. In 2018, she was a leading awardee in the NFRF competition, securing funding for her high-risk international research through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
She was a trailblazer in employing tailored gold nanoparticles to monitor blood protein passage across dialysis membranes, advancing the creation of biocompatible membranes. Her research group was the first in Canada to investigate the chemical and physical attributes of hemodialysis membranes utilized in clinical settings, establishing correlations between membrane properties and patient side effects including inflammation risks. This work underpins the development and clinical testing of novel membrane designs aimed at better patient outcomes.
In partnership with the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR), Abdelrasoul actively involves dialysis patients and other stakeholders to ensure that research findings extend beyond academic circles. This initiative receives partial support from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, emphasizing patient-centered results.
Her team has created computational models simulating interactions between blood proteins and membranes used in hospitals, facilitating predictions of post-dialysis inflammatory responses. Ongoing investigations examine how membrane efficacy differs according to patient factors such as sex, gender identity, ethnicity, and medical history. Abdelrasoul is also synthesizing innovative membranes with superior hemocompatibility to enhance patient well-being while addressing significant health-economic concerns within Canada.
Her contributions have been highlighted in The Conversation Canada and reported by CTV News, showcasing their potential to revolutionize life-sustaining dialysis therapies. In 2022, she delivered a keynote address at the Life/Nephrology Campus in Germany, affirming her prominent role in progressing hemodialysis membrane science and technology.
App for Dialysis Patients
Abdelrasoul partnered with Push Interactions and obtained funding from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation to create an application that allows dialysis patients to share their experiences and connect with healthcare professionals.
Articles
Abdelrasoul has authored and co-authored a wide range of scholarly articles.
Books
She wrote Biomimetic and Bioinspired Membranes for New Frontiers in Sustainable Water Treatment Technology (2017) and served as editor for Advances in Membrane Technologies (2020).
Honours and Awards
Abdelrasoul has received numerous academic accolades from Alexandria University, Kuwait University, and Ryerson University. In 2015, she was honored with the Governor General's Academic Gold Medal—the highest academic distinction in Canada—for achieving the top PhD academic standing. Her scholarship awards include the Queen Elizabeth QEII GSST, Ryerson Graduate Scholarship, and two Ontario Graduate Scholarships.
Her innovations earned her the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 2015 Membrane Technology Conference held in Orlando. She also won the Norman Esch Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award twice (2015 and 2016) for presenting startup concepts based on membrane technologies. Additionally, she received Ryerson’s C. Ravi Ravindran Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award in 2015 for her dissertation’s originality and its significant impact on industry and environmental sectors.
In 2019, Abdelrasoul was shortlisted for the Young Investigator Award by the Journal of Membranes as well as nominated for the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering’s Lectureship Award. That year, she was granted the Good Fellow Faculty Travel Award by the University of Saskatchewan.
By 2021, she earned recognition as an Emerging Star in Chemical Engineering Research and Design, won Best Clinical Paper at USask’s Life and Health Sciences Expo, and was nominated twice for Best Supervisor Award (2021 and 2022). She also received Dean's Remote Teaching accolades from USask’s College of Engineering during that period.
In 2022, Abdelrasoul was distinguished as Outstanding Women Researcher in Chemical Engineering by Chemical Engineering Research and Design and awarded the Young Investigator Excellence Award from the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron.