• Aston Triangle

      B4 7ET Birmingham

      United Kingdom

    • School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle

      B4 7ET Birmingham

      United Kingdom

    Accepting PhD Students

    PhD projects

    1. Integrative Genomics of Rare Diseases
    Objective: Identify novel genetic variants associated with rare diseases using integrated multi-omics sequencing and advanced bioinformatics techniques.

    2. Precision Oncology: Genomic Profiling of Tumors
    Objective: Investigate the genomic landscape of various cancers to inform personalized treatment strategies and address the knowledge gap in tumor biology.

    For more information and to explore other available research projects, please email Dr. Mo Elasrag at [email protected]

    Personal profile

    Biography

    Dr. Mohammed Elasrag is a Lecturer in Medical Genomics and Bioinformatics at Aston University Medical School, recognised for his significant contributions to both research and education in these fields. He holds a BSc in Biology (2007) and an MRes in Genomics and Bioinformatics (2011) from the University of Benha. He was awarded his PhD in 2016 from the University of Leeds, where his research focused on identifying novel mutations and genes responsible for retinal dystrophies (RDs) through Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). This groundbreaking work led to the discovery of three novel genes, ten peer-reviewed publications, and earned him an Academic Excellence Award.

    After completing his PhD, Dr. Elasrag pursued a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at St. James’s University Hospital in Leeds, where he played a pivotal role in a large-scale sequencing project investigating schizophrenia susceptibility alleles. In 2019, he joined the University of Manchester as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, focusing on NGS data analysis for complex human diseases and contributing to research in the Evolution, Systems, and Genomics domain, as well as the Cardiovascular, Endocrine, and Metabolic Sciences domain.

    Since 2021, Dr. Elasrag has been a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham. In this capacity, he established a Bioinformatics Support Unit dedicated to advancing research in genomics, with a particular focus on the application of deep learning techniques. His work involves complex bioinformatics, machine learning, and genomics analyses across multiple projects.

    Dr. Elasrag’s expertise spans a range of cutting-edge genomic technologies, including nanopore sequencing, GRO-Seq, Hi-C/4C/Pore-C, CAGE-Seq, and single-cell sequencing, as well as conventional approaches such as DNASeq and RNASeq. He applies computational biology to multi-omics data integration, driving forward research in genomics and precision medicine.

    Since 2008, Dr. Elasrag has taught genomics and bioinformatics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels across several institutions, including the University of Benha, University of Leeds, University of Manchester, and University of Birmingham. His teaching combines theoretical knowledge with practical expertise, preparing the next generation of researchers and clinicians in the rapidly evolving field of genomics.

    Qualifications

    • PhD Genomics and Bioinformatics (2012–2016) University of Leeds.
    • MRes Genomics and Bioinformatics (2009–2011) University of Benha.
    • Pre-Master's Diploma First Class Honours Genomics and Bioinformatics (2008) University of Benha.
    • BSc First Class Honours "94%"  Biology (2003–2007) University of Benha.

    Employment

    • 2024 – Present: Lecturer, Aston University. 
    • 2020 – 2024: Senior Bioinformatician, University of Birmingham.
    • 2018 – 2020: Senior Research Fellow, University of Manchester.
    • 2016 – 2018: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Leeds.

    Membership of Professional Bodies

    • The European Retinal Diseases Consortium (ERDC), (2016 - present)
    • The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), (2013 - present)
    • The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), (2012 - present)
    • Quality Assurance & Accreditation Project (QAAP), (2010 - 2012)

    PhD Supervision

    PhD and Master’s Supervision:

    1. Danah Albuainain [PhD student] co-supervisor, 2020-present, self-funded, Uni of Leeds
    2. Dr. Samar Yahya [PhD student] co-supervisor, 2019-2023 [awarded], self-funded, Uni of Leeds
    3. Anca-Ruxandra Vircolici [MSc Bioinformatics] primary supervisor, 2021-2022 [awarded], self-funded, Uni of Birmingham
    4. Richard Gawne [MSc Bioinformatics] primary supervisor, 2021-2022 [awarded], self-funded, Uni of Birmingham
    5. Dr. Sharvari Vadeyar [Academic Foundation Trainee] primary supervisor, 2021-2022 [awarded], Heartlands Hospital
    6. Rhian Broadbent [MRes student] co-supervisor, 2020-2021 [awarded], Uni of Leeds
    7. Busra Koksal [Master’s student] co-supervisor, 2019-2020 [awarded], Uni of Manchester
    8. Dr. Omar Khan [Internship PhD student] co-supervisor, 2017 [awarded], Uni of Liverpool
    9. 4 Leeds University Honors Students [Pre-doctoral Clinical] primary supervisor, 2015 [awarded], Uni of Leeds
    10. 11 visiting students [Summer research projects] primary supervisor, 2008-2012 [awarded], Uni of Benha

    Funding Applications and Awards

    Grants:

    • 2023: DETERMINE CRUK Experimental Medicine Grant (25% internal credit with Andrew Beggs) £3.5m (£7.5m total)
    • 2023: AstraZeneca Industry Partnership Programme Grant (co-I, 10% credit at UoB) (£2.745m total)
    • 2021: Sarcoma Accelerator Consortium CRUK. Collaborator (10% credit with Andrew Beggs) (£2.5m total)
    • 2018: Functional Genomics Grant
    • 2012: Egy Full PhD Scholarship

    Awards:

    • 2016: Academic Excellent Award
    • 2015: Top Achievers Award
    • 2011: Benha University Master Award

    Contact Details

     

    External positions

    Honorary Lecturer, University of Birmingham

    2024 → …

    Keywords

    • R Medicine (General)
    • Medical Genomics
    • Bioinformatics
    • Cancer Genomics
    • Genomics and Personalised Medicine
    • Genetics
    • RE Ophthalmology
    • Retinal Dystrophies (RDs)
    • Macular Degeneration
    • Glaucoma

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