I am a scientist with a strong background in the field of immunology, including postgraduate studies, diagnostics/clinical laboratory, and research experience. I have contributed in studies investigating the innate and adaptive immune response to meningococcal carriage and disease; studied how an allergen might interfere with dendritic cell – T-cell interaction and thus nature of T-cell response; assessed/monitored patients’ immune profile by immunophenotyping; and conducted donor-recipient crossmatch by Flow Cytometry for organ transplantation. Since joining DDI, my research has mostly been associated with studying the relationship between metabolic inflammation and glucose homeostasis in individuals with obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes. I obtained a research grant from KFAS/DDI to carry out a Clinical Trial aimed at elucidating the efficacy of probiotic therapy on glucose homeostasis and related immunometabolic parameters in patients with prediabetes. I was recently awarded a grant from KFAS to conduct a study aimed at characterizing the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in individuals with asymptomatic, mild/moderate, and severe/critical disease. I am also contributing in clinical studies aimed at elucidating the role of neuroinflammation in vascular brain changes in patients with diabetes. Further, I am developing new research grants aimed at understanding the underlying immune dysfunction in the development of autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. Among other activities, I have served on the accreditation committee; served as a peer reviewer for reputable journals; and am a member of the British Society for Immunology. I am eager to build on my current research experience, and together with my team, strive to make clinically important discoveries. With a life-long passion for science and an inquisitive nature, I am confident that I will make a difference in the scientific and clinical community.  

Inflammation and immune regulation; Gut microbiome-host interactions; Immunometabolic dysfunction; autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes, Nutritional immunomodulation; Neuroimmunology; Translational immunology. 

I have continued my professional developmenmt by attending several professional courses, as well as scientific and clinical workshops/seminars throughout my career. Among other courses, I attended the 5^th ENII EFIS/EJI Summer School in Advanced Immunology in Italy (09-16 May 2010); the BD FACS CANTO II Course in Germany (11-14 Jul 2011); and the Clinical Trial Management Course in Oxford/UK (27 Apr – 1 May 2015).

During my service at the Ministry of Health, I was invited to train laboratory technologists on donor/recipient crossmatch by Flow Cytometry at the Al-Khatib Laboratory, Syria, 19-24 June 2010. Since joining DDI, I have been involved in the training and supervision of several technical staff on research work of ongoing projects; have trained and supervised research assistants on tissue culture, functional assays, staining of cell surface markers and intracellular cytokines for flow cytometric analysis; and trained several colleagues on the use/maintenance of the Flow Cytometer. 

1. Robinson K, Wooldridge KG, Wells DB, Hasan A, Todd I, Robins A, James R, Ala'Aldeen DA. T-cell-stimulating protein A elicits immune responses during meningococcal carriage and human disease. Infection and Immunity. 2005; 73 (8): 4684-4693.
2. Hasan AA, Ghaemmaghami AM, Fairclough L, Robins A, Sewell HF, Shakib F. Allergen-driven suppression of thiol production by human dendritic cells and the effect of thiols on T cell function. Immunobiology. 2009; 214 (1): 2-16.  
3. Hasan A, Ghebeh H, Lehe C, Ahmad R, Dermime S. Therapeutic targeting of B7-H1 in breast cancer. Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets. 2011; 15 (10): 1-15.
4. Ahmad R, Al-Mass A, Al-Ghawas D, Shareif N, Zghoul N, Melhem M, Hasan A, Al-Ghimlas F, Dermime S, Behbehani K. Interaction of Osteopontin with IL-18 in Obese Individuals: Implications for Insulin Resistance. PLoS One. 2013; 13;8(5): e63944.
5. Tiss A*, Hasan A*, Khadir A*, Dehbi M, and Dermime S. Innovative Tools for Early Detection of Cancer. Book Chapter on Cancer Biomarkers: Minimal and Noninvasive Early Diagnosis and Prognosis. Published: January 30, 2014 by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis LLC, Content: 973 Pages | 128 Illustrations.*Equal contribution whereby each author wrote one sub-chapter. Hasan A. Author of subchapter 4.1: Real-time PCR for the detection of Wilms’ tumor gene 1 in cancer.
6. Hasan A, Al-GhimlasF, Warsame S, Al-HubailA, AhmedR, Benakhi A, Al-Arouj M, Behbehani K, Dehbi M, Dermime S. IL-33 is negatively associated with the BMI and confers a protective lipid/metabolic profile in non-diabetic but not diabetic subjects. BMC Immunology. 2014; 10 (15):19-28.
7. Ahmad R, Shihab PK, Thomas R, Alghanim M, Hasan A, Sindhu S, Behbehani K. Increased expression of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)-1 is associated with adipose tissue inflammatory state in obesity. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome. 2015; 7: 71.
8. Sindhu S, Thomas R, Shihab PK, Al-Shawaf E, Hasan A, Alghanim M, Behbehani K, Ahmad R. Changes in the Adipose Tissue Expression of CD86 Costimulatory Ligand and CD163 Scavenger Receptor in Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes: Implication for Metabolic Disease. J Glycomics Lipidomics. 2015; 5:4.
9. Akhter N, Hasan A, Shenouda S, Wilson A, Kochumon S, Ali S, Tuomilehto J, Sindhu S, Ahmad R. TLR4/MyD88 -mediated CCL-2 production by lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin): Implications for metabolic inflammation. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders. 2018.
10. Hasan A, Kochumon S, Al-Ozairi E, Tuomilehto J, Ahmad R. Association between adipose tissue interleukin-33 and immunometabolic markers in individuals with varying degrees of glycemia. Disease Markers. 2019.   
11. Hasan A, Akhtar N, Al-Roub A, Thomas R, Kochumon S, Wilson A, Koshy M, Al Ozairi E, Al-Mulla F, Ahmad R. TNF-α in combination with palmitate enhances IL-8 production via the MyD88-independent TLR4 signaling pathway: potential relevance to metabolic inflammation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2019; 20:17.
12. Ahmad R, Kochumon S, Chandy B, Shenouda S, Koshy M, Hasan A, Arefanian H, Al-Mulla F, Sindhu S. TNF-α drives the CCL4 expression in human monocytic cells: Involvement of the SAPK/ JNK and NF-кB signaling pathways. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. 2019; 52 (4): 908-921.
13. Hasan A and Al-Dhahi W. Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 is directly correlated with glycated hemoglobin in individuals with an average glycaemia in the normal/prediabetes range. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2020.
14. Hasan A, Kochumon S, Al-Ozairi E, Tuomilehto J, Al-Mulla F, Ahmad R. Correlation profile of suppression of tumorigenicity 2 and/or interleukin-33 with biomarkers in the adipose tissue of individuals with different metabolic states. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2020.
15. Kochumon S, Arefanian H, Azim R, Shenouda S, Jacob T, Abu-Khalaf N, Al-Rashed F, Hasan A, Sindhu S, Al-Mulla F, Ahmad R. Stearic acid and TNF-α co-operatively potentiate MIP-1α production in monocytic cells via MyD88 independent TLR4/TBK/IRF3 signaling pathway. Biomedicines. 2020.
16. Al-OZairi E, Alsaeed D, Alroudhan D, Voase N, Hasan A, Gill J. M. R, Sattar N, Welsh P, Gray C. M, Boonpor J, Celis-Morales C, Gray S. R. Skeletal Muscle and Metabolic Health: How Do We Increase Muscle Mass and Function in People with Type 2 Diabetes? The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2021. 106 (2):309–317.
17. Hasan A. Al-Ozairi E, Al-Baqsumi Z, Ahmad R, Al-Mulla F. Cellular and humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and immunotherapeutic approaches. ImmunoTargets and Therapy. 2021.
18. Al-Ozairi E, Brown R, Hamdan Y, Alabdullah L, Voase N, AlKandari J, Al Saeed D, Al Ozairi A, Hasan A, Al-Mulla F, Katikireddi SV, Gray SR, Gill JMR, Celis-Morales CA, Sattar N, Welsh P. Risk factors for mortality among inpatients with COVID-19 in a population with high type 2 diabetes prevalence: National Data from Kuwait. Submitted.