Research

Research Network

Dr. Najwa Mansour

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Najwa Mansour received her PhD in Cellular and Microbial Sciences in 2020 from the University of Surrey, UK. Her PhD thesis focused on the cellular signaling pathways in breast cancer cells, upon photoactivated chemotherapy with ruthenium complexes. Her research interest combines multiple disciplines and is mainly focused on drug discovery in cancer therapy whereby various chemically synthesized platinum and ruthenium complexes are investigated along with their mechanisms of action. Dr. Mansour also investigates the molecular cancer cell death pathways (intrinsic/extrinsic apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis, autophagy and others). Her research is based on cell culture techniques, cytotoxicity assays, flow cytometry, western blotting, gel electrophoresis and microscopy beside the metallodrug synthesis, purification and identification (NMR, ESI-MS, and HR-MS) techniques. During her master’s studies, she focused on Multidrug resistant microorganisms and available antibiotic therapy using mostly PCR and Checkerboard techniques. She was selected for the “Research in Medicine Award” in 2013 and completed her masters with high distinction. Dr. Mansour joined LAU as a part time instructor in the Department of Natural Sciences on July 2014. Her research has been published in international journals such as RCS advances and European Journal of Organic Chemistry.

Publications

  1. Mansour, N.; Mehanna, S.; Taleb, R. I.; Mroueh, M.; Bodman‐Smith, K.; El-Sibai, M.; Daher, C. F.; Khnayzer, R. S.* Photoactivatable Ru(II) complex bearing 2,9-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline: unusual photochemistry and significant potency on cisplatin-resistant cell lines. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2018, 22, 2524-2532.
  2. Mehanna, S.; Mansour, N.; Audi, H.; Bodman-Smith, K.; Mroueh,  M. A.; Taleb, R. I.; Daher, C. F. and Khnayzer, R. S.* “Enhanced cellular uptake and photochemotherapeutic potential of a lipophilic strained Ru(II) polypyridyl complex”. RSC Advances, 2019, 9, 17254 – 17265.
  3. Jaafar, A.; Fix‐Tailler, A.; Mansour, N.; Allain, M.; Shebaby, W.; Faour, W.; Tokajian, S.; El-Ghayoury, A.; Naoufal, D.; Bouchara, J.; Larcher, G.; Ibrahim, G. “Synthesis, characterization, antifungal and antibacterial activities evaluation of copper (II), zinc (II) and cadmium (II) chloride and bromide complexes with new (E)‐1‐(3,4‐dimethoxybenzylidene)‐4‐methylthiosemicarbazone ligand”. Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 2020.