On October 26, 2022, Reham Khaled, a student in the Master of Science in Drug Discovery and Development program at the College of Pharmacy, successfully defended her thesis titled “Potential chemo-modulatory effect of the marine-derived secondary metabolite ‘terrein’ on the anticancer properties of gemcitabine: pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics study.” The examination committee, which was led by Dr. Ahmed Al-Abd, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, included external examiner Dr. Fahad Al-Abbasi, Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Vice Dean of Continuing Education at King Abdulaziz University, and internal examiners Dr. Muhammad AlShorbagy, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Associate Dean Academics at the College of Pharmacy at Gulf Medical University, and Dr. Walid Elsayed, Associate Professor of Oral Histopathology and Associate Dean Academics at the College of Dentistry at Gulf Medical University.
Reham’s research focused on the potential of “terrein,” a marine-derived secondary metabolite, to enhance the anticancer properties of gemcitabine, a chemotherapy drug used to treat pancreatic cancer. Through her study, Reham was able to identify the mechanisms by which “terrein” may improve the effectiveness of gemcitabine and provide insight into how this compound could potentially be used in cancer treatment.
After a thorough and rigorous defense, the examination committee agreed that Reham had successfully demonstrated a deep understanding of her research topic and had successfully completed her thesis. This is a major accomplishment for Reham. We congratulate Reham on her hard work and dedication to her studies. We wish Reham all the best in her future endeavors in the field of drug discovery and development.