Biography

Dr. Mahasin Osman received her Ph.D. from Cornell University in Biochemistry Cell and Molecular Biology supported by fellowships from the Agency for International Development and NIH training grant. Her postdoctoral work at Cornell focused on yeast cell polarity and cytokinesis. As Senior Research Associate, funded by the American Cancer Society and NIH, she translated her research into mammalian systems. Dr. Osman then became Research Scientist with independent laboratory funded by the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Osman's research is multifaceted, focused on the mechanisms involved in coupling cell growth and division (cell homeostasis) and their dysfunction in human disease. These are produced by evolutionarily conserved multi-subunit protein complexes involved in decoding and executing intrinsic and extrinsic signals. Thus using well-established and new technology the Osman lab investigates signaling networks that regulate cell homeostasis and underlie diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Awards

2009 First Place Poster Prize winner, Translational Cancer Research, 22nd Annual International Symposium of the Hunter College Center for Study of Gene Structure and Function, Sloan Kettering and Weill Cornell Medical College.
2007-2009 ASCB, Visiting Professors grant, Weill Cornell Medical College, NY, funding research on IQGAP1-mediated trafficking by live imaging.
2007 First Prize for the best solution of the spectral problem and MBL Scholarship, Analytical and Quantitative Light Microscopy, AQLM, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
2004-2009 K22 award (K22CA104285-01A1), from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), (~403K).
2003-2004 American Cancer Society grant (~$20K)
1997-2001 NIH fellowship in Molecular and Cell Biology of Cancer from the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
1996-1997 Presidential award for postdoctoral study, Cornell University
1985 University Distinction with Prize; awarded Magna Cum Laude, University of Khartoum.

Teaching Experience

2003- 2009. BIOG 2990 - Introduction to Research Methods in Biology (3-5 credits course).

2006- 2008. BIOG 4990 - Independent Undergraduate Research in Biology (3-9 credits course)

The Cell Biology of Protozoan Pathogens. First West African Regional Workshop, JULY 13-24, 2009, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana (The American Society for Cell Biology)

East African Regional Training workshop. Cell Biology of Infectious Disease JULY 2008, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania (The American Society for Cell Biology)

633, 638 Molecular biology course at Cornell university.

Taught genetics, physiology, anatomy and Biochemistry undergrad courses.

Courses Taught

• Macromolecular Biosynthesis (graduate course). (BIOG 638)
• Principles of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BIOGM 638)

Selected Publications

• Tekletsadik, K. Y., R. Sonn and M. A. Osman (2012). A Conserved Role for IQGAP1 in Regulating TOR Complex 1. J. Cell Sci. [Epub ahead of print] February 10 2012.(2012)
• Osman, M.A. (2010) An emerging role for IQGAP1 in regulating protein traffic. TheScientificWorldJOURNAL 10, 944–953.(2010)
• Wang, J-B, Sonn, R., Tekletsadik, Y. K., Samorodnitsky, D. and Osman, M. A. (2009. IQGAP1 regulates cell proliferation through a novel CDC42-mTOR/PI3K pathway. J Cell Sci; 122. 2024-2033. Highlighted editorially and on the journal's cover(2009)
• Rittmeyer, E. N. Daniel, S. Hsu, S. C. and Osman, M. A. (2008) A dual role for IQGAP1 in regulating exocytosis. J Cell Sci; 121, 391-408. Highlighted editorially and on the journal's cover(2008)