Bioanalysis Young Investigator: Omnia A Ismaiel

Omnia Ismaiel began working with PPD in 2008 as a postdoctoral fellow and became a full-time research scientist in early 2011. She has extensively studied matrix effects in LC-ESI-MS/MS bioanalysis, evaluating a broad spectrum of matrix lipid compound classes and their relative ion suppression interference effects. Over the past 2 years, Omnia's research has focused on solid-phase microextraction and 2D UPLC separation techniques for analyzing peptides by LC-MS/MS. As part of this work, she assisted engineers from Waters Corporation in designing and testing a prototype Acquity UPLC(®) instrument with 2D technology that is now on the market. More recently, Omnia has contributed major work to our program on developing advanced LC-MS/MS assays for multiple β-amyloid biomarker peptides in CSF, intended to aid in the diagnosis and development of drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease. This work is now reaching a major milestone of formal method validations for three assays, one of which involves close collaboration with the international Global Biomarker Standardization Consortium of the Alzheimer's Association. This work has been very challenging, but also exciting and rewarding for Omnia. She is a highly productive research scientist and very deserving of recognition as a prominent young bioanalytical investigator and nominee of the Bioanalysis Young Investigator Award.