Edmonton) Anwar Anwar-Mohamed has an affinity for falcons. They're majestic, faster than anything else on Earth and have telephoto-like eyesight that can spot prey several kilometres away.
Anwar-Mohamed learned to appreciate the desert hunting skills of falcons as a boy growing up in Dubai, where falconry is a popular and ancient sport dating back to 2000 B.C. The bird of prey's ability to see the horizon and plot several moves ahead is a trait Anwar-Mohamed shares through his efforts to make hepatitis C drugs less toxic-work he's doing in the lab of one of the world's leading virologists, and just a few months removed from completing his PhD.
From graduate studies to world-leading lab
Anwar Anwar-Mohamed's talent for drug toxicology and ability to pinpoint problem mechanisms led to one of the most productive research careers of any U of A pharmacy student.
Michael Houghton, one of the world's leading virologists, hired Anwar as a post-doctoral fellow-the first in a move to build stronger ties with pharmacy and take advantage of interdisciplinary skills needed to create antiviral vaccines and drugs.
"A lot of drugs have fallen by the wayside," he explains. "No matter which virus or disease you're making drugs for, it's extremely hard to predict if a drug is going to be toxic or not in humans."
Anwar-Mohamed has been tasked with finding ways to improve our ability to predict drug toxicity.