Saba Al Heialy obtained her PhD degree in 2013 at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She trained at the Meakins-Christie laboratory, a leading research center in respiratory medicine under the supervision of Dr. James G. Martin. She was awarded many scholarships throughout her PhD including the James Hogg Award in 2012 for her work on nanotubes in T cells. Currently, her research revolves around the role of the immune system in various respiratory diseases with an emphasis on the association between asthma and obesity. Moreover, she has a particular interest in the role of obesity in the COVID-19 pandemic. She is funded by the Al Jalila Research Foundation for her work on the association between asthma and lung cancer.
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor of Immunology
Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE
Adjunct Professor
McGill University, Canada
Senior lecturer of Physiology
Alfaisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Director of 1st year medical program
Alfaisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Professional Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Experimental Medicine)
McGill University, Canada
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry
Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada
Teaching
- Teaching Immunology undergraduate students.
- Teaching Immunology to postgraduate students.
- Mentoring Masters and PhD students.
Honors and Awards
L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science-International Rising Talent
Project: Relation of obesity and immune regulation in asthmatics: crosstalk between adipocytes and T cells
L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Fellowship
Project: Steroid hyporesponsiveness in obese asthmatics: role of Th17 cells and GR-β
James Hogg Award - Best poster presentation
Canadian Thoracic Society Poster Competition, San Francisco, CA, USA
Travel Award
American Thoracic Society, San Francisco, CA, USA
Travel Award
Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Canada
Best Research Presentation - 1st prize in the PhD category
Association des pneumologues de la province de Québec conference, Canada
Doctoral Fellowship
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre , Canada
Best Research Presentation - 1st prize in the PhD category
Respiratory Research Axis Day- McGill University, Canada
Doctoral Fellowship from Allergen
Doctoral Fellowship
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Canada
Best Research Presentation - 1st prize in the PhD category
Respiratory Research Axis Day - McGill University, Canada
Travel Award
Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Canada
Doctoral Fellowship from Asthma in the Workplace
Publications
Research Interests
- Immune responses of asthma
- Role of obesity in asthma
- Role of obesity in outcomes of COVID-19
- Association between asthma and lung cancer
Clinical and Community Service
- Administration and Service in 2 universities.
- Friends of Cancer Patients