Sarah Bouali
“I am honoured to receive this award which means a lot to me. I am happy and grateful that my work efforts have paid off and are being recognized and acknowledged by the INRS community.”
Sarah Bouali
M.Sc. Master in Virology and Immunology, 2021
Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie | Supervisor: Krista Heinonen
Sarah Bouali's PhD thesis focuses on blood cells derived from a small population of haematopoietic stem cells. In her dissertation, she highlights the discovery of the role of the protein Vangl2 in the maintenance and regulation of haematopoietic stem cells, which had not been elucidated before. She demonstrates that Vangl2 is essential for the long-term maintenance of haematopoietic stem cells, thus identifying Vangl2 for the first time as a novel regulator of haematopoiesis.
What brought you to INRS? What do you remember about your experience?
After doing a summer internship at INRS, I knew immediately that I wanted to do a master's degree at the institution. I particularly liked the fact that the practical side of research was the central element at INRS. I remember my master's degree as a great experience that allowed me to develop as a young scientist and during which I had the chance to collaborate with my peers and the scientific community.
Can you describe the challenge and impact of the research presented in your master's thesis?All blood cells are derived from a small population of hematopoietic stem cells. In my thesis, we put forward the discovery of the role of the protein Vangl2 in the maintenance and regulation of haematopoietic stem cells, which was previously unresolved. We demonstrated that Vangl2 is essential for the long-term maintenance of haematopoietic stem cells, thus identifying Vangl2 for the first time as a novel regulator of haematopoiesis.
What does it mean to you to win this award?
I am honoured to receive this award which means a lot to me. I am happy and grateful to see that the efforts of my work have paid off and are recognised and acknowledged by the INRS community.
What is the next chapter for you now that you are graduating?
Being motivated by the desire to contribute closely to scientific advances in order to serve the community, I am currently a scientific associate in a company involved in vaccine development and several clinical trials related to the approval of new vaccines, including for COVID-19.