Suzanne A Al-Bustan
Suzanne A. Al-Bustan obtained her B.Sc degree in Zoology in 1988 from Kuwait University and a PhD degree in Medical Genetics in 1992 from Glasgow University, Scotland, UK. The main focus of her thesis was to investigate gene-environment interaction through biochemical genetic studies of a neurodegenerative disorder “Wernicke-Korsakoff’s Syndrome”. She then joined the Department of Zoology at the Faculty of Science in Kuwait University in 1993 as a Genetic and Biology Lecturer and in 1997, she was appointed in the Molecular Biology Program of the amalgamated Department of Biological Sciences. She is currently a Professor of Human and Molecular Genetics involved in teaching advanced molecular genetics courses (both undergraduate and graduate). She has published numerous papers in reputed journals and has been active in both scientific research and supervision of several graduate students in the areas of human genetics and molecular biology focusing on the genetic makeup of the Kuwaiti Population and association studies with complex traits including metabolic disorders. Her research facilitated the establishment of a human DNA banks representative of the Kuwaiti population. Her main research interests are in the genetic association of candidate genes with complex traits, specifically dyslipidemia and its associated disorders. The methods applied include re-sequencing of target genes (namely Apolipoprotein family and LPL) involved in the lipid transport and metabolism in order to identify putative mutations that may increase the risk to develop dyslipidemia. She is collaborating with several other staff at Kuwait University and internationally. She has served a graduate program director (M.Sc in Molecular Biology) and a Department Chair of Biological Sciences. She is currently the Acting Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Research and Graduate studies (since 2021).
Abstracts this author is presenting: