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Dr Saber Abd Elkader
Dr

Saber Abd Elkader

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Overview

Background

Molecular Neuroscience

Dr. Saber Abdelkader began his research career in 2014 as a research and teaching assistant at Assiut University, Egypt, where he also earned his MSc in cell biology in 2017. In 2018, he undertook a research fellowship at Kanazawa Medical University in Japan, where he investigated the role of extracellular vesicles in cancer biology.

During his PhD at the University of Queensland (UQ), Dr. Abdelkader made significant contributions to our understanding of neuronal lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function. His work revealed that the loss of DDHD2 disrupts saturated free fatty acid (sFFA) homeostasis, leading to impaired synaptic function in hereditary spastic paraplegia 54 (HSP54). This research, which integrated electron microscopy, lipidomics, and molecular biology, was published in EMBO Reports (co-first author).

In a related study published in Nature Metabolism (first author), Dr. Abdelkader demonstrated that DDHD2-derived sFFAs are essential for neuronal β-oxidation and ATP production. In parallel, he led a complementary research program targeting N-myristoyltransferases (NMT1/2) as host-directed antiviral targets. Using brain organoids, air–liquid interface (ALI) cultures, and in vivo models, he demonstrated broad-spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, RSV, VSV, and SFV. This work has been accepted for publication in Nature Communications (first author).

Currently, Dr. Abdelkader’s research focuses on the role of phospholipid-modifying enzymes in regulating cellular membrane trafficking in neurons under both physiological and pathological conditions. He is also investigating how lipid-modifying enzymes influence SARS-CoV-2 replication, assembly, and release. To address these questions, he employs a multidisciplinary approach combining biochemistry, cell biology, gene editing, and advanced imaging techniques to uncover how specific phospholipases modulate membrane dynamics and virus-host interactions.

Availability

Dr Saber Abd Elkader is:
Available for supervision

Research impacts

Dr. Abd Elkader has published 43 peer-reviewed papers (8 as first author, 7 as corresponding author), with an h-index of 16 and over 793 citations, indicating strong early-career impact. His technical expertise spans live-cell and super-resolution imaging, EM, proteomics, lipidomics, virology, and neuronal physiology.

Works

Supervision

Availability

Dr Saber Abd Elkader is:
Available for supervision

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Media

Enquiries

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