I was born in Tunis, Tunisia. Since my early childhood, I have been fascinated by biology. I fed my curiosity through documentary films, science magazines and science-fiction films. My parents encouraged me by buying me encyclopedias, scientific novels and taking me to visit zoos, nature reserves and scientific exhibitions. I spent my free time catching insects, worms and small salamanders to experiment on. Since then, my dream was to become a biological scientist. I did my best to make it happen.
After high school, I obtained a Bachelor of Science, with honours, in Biology from the University of Tunis El Manar in 2000. I won an “elite scholarship”, a highly selective scholarship granted by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education to the brightest students to pursue doctoral studies in France in scientific fields that do not exist in Tunisia (Molecular Anthropology). In 2001, I obtained a Master in Science at the Medical School La Timone, University of the Mediterranean, (Marseille, France) – again with honours. This opened the way for a scholarship granted by the CNRS (Centre National de Recherche Scientifique-France), given to the most talented young students with masters degrees. My thesis focused on the study of ancient DNA obtained from Middle Age French skeletons with dislocations of the hip.
I continued my doctoral studies in the same laboratory in France where I worked on mitochondrial DNA diversity in current and ancient human populations (6,000 to 15,000 years) in North Africa. After my PhD and post-doctoral training carried out in France, I joined, in 2006, the Institut Pasteur in Tunis as a scientific researcher. Currently, I am a Team Leader in the Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Ontogenetic and responsible for the genetic-typing core facility at Institut Pasteur in Tunis. I am mainly involved in human genetic disorders, genetic diversity in North Africa and the impact of consanguinity on health. I hope to better understand the pathogenesis of diabetes, to improve its diagnosis and treatment, and thereby reduce its prevalence not only in Tunisia, but worldwide.
In addition to my research activities, I am also involved in training and teaching activities for graduate students. My skills were recognized at national, regional and international levels. I am very passionate about my profession and I love sharing this passion with my family and with my students both at university and in the research laboratory. At 43 years old, I continue to give the best of myself!