Hello,
I am Ahlam Soliman. I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Van Andel Research Institute. I have received my PhD in Neuroscience from Michigan State University (MSU). Admittedly, I am not excellent at talking about myself, especially in writing. Nevertheless, like many challenges I have overcome, I can accept one more and share the main stations of my academic journey in this excerpt.
I started my academic journey in 2009 by completing a bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the Faculty of Pharmacy in Cairo University, Egypt. Yes! I am an Egyptian. I want to emphasize that the courses I took during my five years of studying mainly involved traditional lectures and lacked active participation. The lab sessions, led by teaching assistants, had a modicum of interactive learning and applying knowledge. Collectively, my undergraduate learning involved minimal student-centered pedagogy.
Immediately afterwards, I was appointed as a teaching and research assistant in clinical pharmacy department of the same school. I acquired extensive experience with undergraduate teaching in different disciplines. As a teaching assistant I facilitated lectures, graded assignments, led students' discussions, and managed capstone projects.
Given my experience with the ineffective traditional lecturing-based learning, I decided to engage my students using a more interactive approach, especially during group discussions. However, I realized that I am short of the adequate tools to implement this strategy. Of course, I did not have full control over how the course should be managed, which compounded the challenge. That being said, I could solicit informal feedback from students. Without those feedbacks, I would not have been able to pinpoint the flaws. The first step for change is to see and admit the mistakes and shortcomings. The second step is to rectify them using better alternatives. I could not pursue the second step because I lacked the knowledge and resources for fruitful pedagogy. My early inchoate experiential teaching highlighted missing skills I needed to create an effective learning environment for my students.
Cairo University campus
Marshall student center, University of South Florida
Busch Gardens, Tampa, Fl
Before completing my masters in clinical pharmacy, I applied for graduate schools in the US along with my husband, who was a pharmacist, too. Thankfully, we both were accepted to the Biomedical Sciences PhD program in the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. Undeniably, that was a radical change in my life. It was not easy for a person like me, who dreads uncertainty and unpredictability and sticks to a well-structured plan, to acclimate to the new lifestyle, language, education system, etc.
A breezy aside, on our first night in Florida, we could not find out how and where to buy a bottle of water. Taking care of a three-year-old boy intensified the distress then.
It was not a long time before I pulled myself back on track. Most of the graduate classes included student-centered activities as writing papers, peer instruction, capstone presentations, developing case studies, etc. In contrast to my preceding learning experience, formative assessment was nearly the pivotal form, not the high stakes summative assessments. I spend roughly two and half years in the doctoral program at USF. During that time, I began to identify the missing skills I ferreted out to hone my teaching capacity. That being said, I still needed to know what to do to acquire those skills.
Grand Rapids Research Center, GR campus of MSU
One of Michigan's blizzards!!
In 2018, my husband and I transitioned to MSU to continue our PhD in the Neuroscience program. Although the transition impeded our progress in the PhD, we could not forgo this opportunity at an institution like MSU. The teaching requirement of the program was a great appeal because it revived my teaching experience where I could apply what I learned as a student at USF. Importantly, MSU's graduate school grants certification in college teaching (CCT). In fact, this portfolio is a deliverable to attain the certification. Three years of diligent work through various courses and workshops have culminated in this portfolio, which you are about to navigate.
In my doctoral dissertation, I study the neuropathology of a group of neurodegenerative disorders called tauopathies. The common pathological culprit in those disorders is a protein called tau although they differ in clinical symptoms and affected brain regions. In particular, I study the interplay between a calcium-binding protein, EFhd2, with tau and how EFhd2 could impinge abnormal tau aggregation in tauopathies brain. After completing my PhD in Neuroscience, I aim to pursue a career path that combines research and teaching. In fact, I aspire to develop curricular development skills in neuroscience-related venues. Such a career will challenge me to use my aptitude and skills that I acquired during my PhD and building this portfolio. As I advance in my career, I will update the portfolio with future teaching and research accomplishments
After spending that many years studying the molecular mechanisms that may regulate protein aggregation in Alzheimer's disease, I have joined Dr. Melissa Hoyer lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow at VAI in the department of Neurodegenrative Science to explore different research questions. In particular, our research team is intrigued by the biological and pathological significance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in neurodegenration. As such, I will harness my past experience to unveil a potential interplay between protein aggregation and diruptive ER's function in a wide range of neurodegenrative disorders.
I am that person who is but concerned with relentlessly achieving a task after another. I daresay that even my rest time would be meticulously structured to a plan, which, indeed, negates “rest time.” I am beholden to my family, who imparts the level of spontaneity that I need to keep my unrelenting sense of punctuality and strict planning at bay to enjoy leisure time. We love exploring new places in Michigan, especially during the precious and beautiful summer. We also enjoy going to museums in different cities, whether in Michigan or other states. Board games are the main indoor activity in our quality time together. If not with my family, I spend my free time reading books, primarily on religion, history, and human psychology. Of course, like most Egyptian women, I like cooking Egyptian dishes for my family.
San Diego Zoo
During the Society for Neuroscience conference in 2022
The beautiful colors of Fall all over Caledonia, MI where I reside
Sun set at Grand Haven city beach, MI
Enjoying Michigan's priceless summer in Brewer Park
