Ali choucry
Ph.D. Student

Current research project

I am currently studying the dynamics of episodic memories, where we can mentally time travel to revisit an episode or a situation, with vivid recall of all events surrounding that episode. On one side, I am studying how the brain organizes and recalls multiple events presented within a defined sequence to plan an appropriate course of action. On the other side, I am also trying to unravel some of the neural dynamics of forgetting: What exactly happens in our sleeping brains, when they try to process one piece of information they deem trivial?

Ambitious future plan

My ambitions are, like my project, arranged in a sequential episodic manner. First, I wish to earn my PhD through solid publication(s). Second, I would like to pursue a post-doc position and further develop myself in neuroscience. Finally, I plan to return to Egypt, where I wish to establish a strong Neuropharmacology program in the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University.

Background scientific field

Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2010) &p; Master of Pharmacology(2016).

Personal history

I graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt in 2010. In 2011, I joined the Pharmacology and Toxicology department of the same Faculty, where I started my pursuit of Neuroscience. I had multiple short stints at Germany throughout the years until I received my Master’s degree in Pharmacology in 2016, studying the hippocampal dynamics that follow global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats, with a special focus on neurotrophic signaling.

Publications

• Target evaluation of deoxyhypusine synthase from Theileria parva the neglected animal parasite and its relationship to Plasmodium.Bioorg Med Chem. 2014 Aug 1;22(15):4338-46. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.05.007
• Resurrecting Gangliosides: GM1 triangulates Trk, p75NTR and NGF balance to restore memory deficit in global ischemia/reperfusion model (in preparation)

Hobby, specialty

Tennis, Science-fiction.

Appeal to the audiences

The lab of Professor Inokuchi is rife with state-of-the-art techniques and skillful staff, but also a lot of challenges. I am grateful to be in a place where I can learn and practice advanced neuroscience methods including opto- and chemogenetics, in vivo Ca2+ imaging, and fine-tuned stereotactic surgeries.