I’m an engineer at heart who got so intrigued by neuroscience and by understanding how we generate such fine motor skills that I ended up pursuing a PhD in the field. My research is application-driven and focuses on decoding motor intent from peripheral signals to control external devices.
I am Egyptian, born and raised in Cairo, currently living in Zürich.
I earnt a French Baccalaureate from L'Ecole du Sacré-Coeur in 2011. Pursued a BSc. in Electronics Engineering from the American University in Cairo. In 2018, moved to Zürich for my MSc. degree in Neural Systems and Computation, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich. Started my PhD in March 2021 at the Institute of Neuroinformatics.
I am passionate about Tennis. I learnt to play at the age of 6 and competed in national and international competition until I was 24 years old. Although I don't compete anymore, I still play once or twice a week for the love of the game.
I play the piano. Started my piano lessons at the age of 6 as well. I earned Trinity Guidhall diplomas grade 2-8. Now, I enjoy composing piano pieces in my spare time (it helps me relax).
Recently I taught myself how to crochet, and it has quickly become my favorite hobby. It initially started as a challenge to get into handcrafts and improve my motor skills (yeah, very nerdy, I know). Then I got completely into it. Turns out the repetitive, calm, controlled movements are a great way to clear my mind. Now I know if everything else falls apart, I can start a small crochet business.
I started taking adult ballet classes 2 years ago, partly to improve my strength and posture, but mostly to prove to myself that anything can be learned if you’re willing to invest the time. And also to humble myself with just how uncoordinated I am.
Running has always been my constant form of decompression. Every now and then I take it more seriously and follow a full half-marathon training plan for a few months. Otherwise, I try to run at least once a week to improve my relationship with my heart. I still haven’t made it to the half-marathon finish line, but it’s definitely in the plan.
I like writing articles (usually on random or personal topics) and publishing them from time to time on Medium, but now, you'll find the more recent posts on my Blog page. During college, I pursued a minor degree in Rhetoric and Composition (because why not) and it made me realize how much I enjoy writing. To be fair, now it seems like people are not writing anymore, but I promise everything here is human-made.
