Congratulations to Ahmed Kabil on earning his PhD from the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at UBC. His doctoral experience was shaped by mentorship and a collaborative community that fostered his growth as a scientist. Through his work on the gut microbiome and immune-mediated disease, along with multiple first-author publications and the Vanier CGS award, Ahmed developed a strong foundation in discovery-driven research, scientific storytelling, and mentorship that continues to guide his career.
We asked him to share a bit about his experiences with SBME:
Why did you decide to study biomedical engineering at UBC?
When I first interviewed with Dr. Kelly McNagny, his enthusiasm for science was contagious, and we clicked instantly. What truly drew me to the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME), however, was the profound trust he places in his students. Kelly gave me the autonomy to be creative, take risks, and push the boundaries of my research at SBME. He is not only a brilliant scientist but an incredible mentor and human being, and his leadership was the biggest driving factor in my decision to come to UBC. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Vancouver and the SBME campus offer one of the most beautiful environments in the world to do ground-breaking science!
Can you please share a couple of highlights from your time in SBME? Favourite projects? Notable achievements?
A big achievement at SBME was getting the prestigious Vanier CGS award. This was really huge, and I was the first person in Kelly’s lab to get it. I then went on to publish four first-author papers for my PhD (which still feels unreal) on how changes in the gut microbiome during early life can have life-long consequences in susceptibility to allergic and chronic autoimmune diseases. My PhD defense was another really notable moment. Passing it with zero corrections and having everyone I love there to watch me present and defend my work was a deeply special moment. Out of the four papers, my first PhD paper on how and when allergies really begin was my favorite since it really changes the way we think about chronic diseases. I even use that paper now to teach in guest lectures, such as Anna Blakney’s bioengineering BMEG course.
What was the most fascinating project you got to be a part of, or piece of knowledge that you learned in SBME?
I learned a lot of knowledge in SBME, but two main things stick to mind. First, the art of storytelling: I really pride myself in science communication and the ability to turn data into a cool story. I try to make my papers like a movie, and during presentations, I try to make it fun for the audience and find creative ways to be engaging. Because of this, I was able to win the SBME Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition during my PhD, and I also presented my work at Science Rendezvous and Science Slam competitions, which made me a better scientist. Second, to be successful, the truth is you have to be consistent, determined, and willing to work for it. Many of the people I surrounded myself with embody that, especially Dr. Michael Hughes, who was a great teammate in the lab and provided the right environment for me to shine. We were able to publish many papers together, and another favorite project of mine was on Crohn’s disease. We found that a specific bacterial metabolite could attenuate gut inflammation by inhibiting specific types of immune responses.
How did being a part of the SBME community shape your experience, and what makes biomedical engineering so exciting to you?
I was very lucky to mentor six undergraduate students during my time in SBME. Each one of them has a special place in my heart and taught me a lot on how to become a good mentor and supervisor. I am constantly amazed by the undergrads at SBME and their passion and work ethic; it was a joy to have them on my projects, and they contributed a lot to my publications. I also just enjoyed all the fun science talks and the life lessons I learned trying to navigate these different personalities! I also attribute a lot of my success to my ability to collaborate with different professors at SBME, like Peter Zandstra, Michael Underhill, Fabio Rossi, Fumio Takei, and many more. These collaborations are exactly what make biomedical engineering so exciting, they allow us to work efficiently and push the field forward together.
What are your plans for the future or your next steps?
I am currently a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Marco Colonna’s lab at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Moving forward, I am planning to apply for faculty positions to become a professor and build off all the cool work I did during my PhD and postdoc!