Professor Ahmed Awad teaches a laboratory chemistry class.
By Julie DrakeWhen CSUCI's Chemistry Professor and Faculty Director for Student Research Ahmed Awad
was a child, he saw his grandfather carrying a bag filled with pills — each a different
shape and color. He asked his grandfather why he took the pills.“They help me feel
better,” his grandfather said.
Awad later learned that those pills contained chemical compounds that could effectively
treat diseases and improve bodily function.
“That sparked my curiosity about chemistry and led me to pursue undergraduate studies
in the field,” Awad said.
During his studies, Awad discovered organic chemistry and its role in designing molecules
with a wide range of useful applications, such as pharmaceutical drugs in medicinal
chemistry, he added.Awad studied chemistry at Cairo University in Egypt. He graduated with honors as one
of the top two students in his class. He then received a scholarship to pursue his
doctoral studies in Germany.
“During my studies at Ulm University in Germany, I focused on investigating novel
synthetic nucleic acid molecules, known as oligonucleotides, as potential therapeutics
for pancreatic cancer,” he said.
After he earned his doctorate, Awad joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology at Iowa State University as a postdoctoral fellow, where he continued his
research on synthetic oligonucleotides for gene imaging.
After two years in Iowa, he accepted another postdoctoral position at the University
of California Santa Barbara. In his second year at UCSB, Awad learned about CSUCI,
a newly established four-year college less than 60 miles away from UCSB.
“I was drawn to its small size and its mission as a public institution that values
and embraces student research,” he said.
Awad joined the CSUCI faculty in the Fall of 2007. He has since mentored numerous
undergraduate students in medicinal chemistry research and witnessed firsthand how
this experience transformed many of their lives, he said.
Professor Awad explains laboratory protocol and chain reactions to students.
“In my new position as Faculty Director for Student Research, I am committed to strengthening
a cross-disciplinary campus culture that values and rewards undergraduate research,
while ensuring that opportunities and resources are accessible to a broad and diverse
range of students.” he said.
CSUCI senior Lillian Straw, who graduated in May with a degree in health science and
a minor in chemistry, and Connor Blackwell, a research associate in his fourth year
of college, lead a research team of five students plus Awad.
“Our project pertains to the modification of the chemical structure of the cancer
drug capecitabine,” Straw said.
They work closely with Awad and meet once a week for several hours at a time to brainstorm
and establish solutions to whatever problems arise.
“While Dr. Awad is very involved, he also is hands-off in the sense that he allows
students to structure a lot of the work and attempt solving problems on their own
before assisting,” she said. “Dr. Awad is an incredible mentor for this reason.”
Blackwell agreed.
“Dr. Awad has been an incredible mentor throughout this research experience, and I
highly recommend him to anyone interested in research within the biotech or chemistry-related
fields,” he said.