Dr. Abdulmalik’s research interests broadly encompass the hemoglobinopathies and red blood cell disorders, with particular focus on sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. Though both disorders are consequences of simple genetic mutations, the implications of these mutations are inherently complex, and include significant morbidities, lifelong challenges, reduced quality of life, and early mortality in patients; as well as substantial healthcare burden on families, caregivers, and society in general.

Dr. Abdulmalik’s current research focuses on three modalities of countering disease pathophysiology. The first approach, in tandem with a multidisciplinary team of collaborators, utilizes medicinal chemistry and structural biology to design novel drugs that block the primary pathophysiology of sickle cell disease, i.e., the polymerization of sickle hemoglobin.

Representative Publications:

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Ester and Ether Derivatives of Antisickling Agent 5-HMF for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease

New developments in anti-sickling agents: can drugs directly prevent the polymerization of sickle haemoglobin in vivo?

Forced chromatin looping raises fetal hemoglobin in adult sickle cells to higher levels than pharmacologic inducers

Clinical Implications of the Association of Fetal Hemoglobin with Peripheral Oxygen Saturation in Sickle Cell Disease

Crystal structure of carbonmonoxy sickle hemoglobin in R-state conformation

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