Current Harraz lab members

  • Osama Harraz, PhD

    Principal Investigator

  • Emily Xin Rui Lim, PhD

    Postdoctoral Associate

  • Mohammad Elmahdy, PhD

    Postdoctoral Associate

  • Ahmed Hashad, PhD

    Postdoctoral Associate

  • Michael Ippolito, B.S.

    Lab Technician

  • Grace Ebner

    Lab Technician

  • Curtis Plante, BASc

    Medical School Student

  • Austin Ruggles

    Undergraduate Student

  • Henry Bijur

    Undergraduate Student

  • Maya Rao

    Maya Rao

    Undergraduate Student

  • Trevor Harriman

    Undergraduate Student

Osama Harraz, PhD

Principal Investigator

Osama is the Bloomfield Professor in Cardiovascular Research and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Vermont. He obtained his BSc (2006) and MSc (2009) degrees from Alexandria University in Egypt. In 2010, he started his doctoral training at the University of Calgary in Canada with Donald Welsh, PhD, where he studied novel calcium channels in the brain blood vessels. During his doctoral studies, Osama was the recipient of most prestigious scholarship in Canada (Vanier Scholarship). In 2015, Osama moved to Vermont for postdoctoral training with Mark Nelson, PhD. His major accomplishment during his postdoc was the discovery of a phospholipid regulator (PIP2) of capillary signaling and the demonstration that it dictates different signaling modalities in brain capillaries. Current work in the Harraz Lab aims to understand the capillary mechanosensation in health and disease.

UVM Lab Page ; Google Scholar ; Researchgate ; ORCID

Mohammad Elmahdy, PhD

Postdoctoral Associate 

Mohammad obtained his B.Sc. (2005) in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University in Egypt. In 2010, he Finished his M.Sc. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University and was focused on the induction and treatment of the hypertension in animal models. In 2014, he finished his Ph.D. from the same institute, but focused on the induction and treatment of tumor in in-vivo and in-vitro models. He worked as Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damanhour University in Egypt. In March 2023, he moved to Vermont for postdoctoral training in the Harraz lab. He contributes to ongoing research that investigates molecular mechanisms underlying blood flow physiology. 

Emily Xin Rui Lim, PhD

Postdoctoral Associate 

Emily obtained her BSc (2018) in Biopharmaceutical Science from Dundalk Institute of Technology in Ireland. In 2018, she started her doctoral training in the same Institute, and studied voltage-gated sodium channels and calcium-activated chloride channels in mouse corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells. During her PhD, she was awarded the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship from the Irish Research Council. In 2023, she moved to Vermont for postdoctoral training in the Harraz lab. She contributes to ongoing research that investigates molecular mechanisms underlying blood flow control. Emily loves her cats, Olive and Millie. She also likes hiking, nature, and travelling to new places.

Michael Ippolito, B.S.

Lab Technician

Mike received his B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Pharmacology from UVM. His interest lies in studying the mechanisms of neuronal function, signaling, and disease genesis in the brain; and the development and utilization of pharmaceutical agents to treat diseases and improve peoples’ quality of life. In the Harraz Lab, he assists in ongoing research that investigates mechanically regulated signaling within brain vasculature, as well as providing technical assistance in laboratory setup. An avid all-mountain skier, Mike loves being in the mountains and planning his next adventure.

Grace Ebner, B.S.

Lab Technician

Grace received her B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Emergency Medicine Services from The University of Vermont. She is interested in studying traumatic brain injuries and how vascular changes due to trauma. During her undergraduate time, she studied how the protein tau affected neural vasculature specifically in regard to traumatic injuries. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking, climbing, ultimate frisbee, and exploring the outdoors. 


Curtis Plante, BASc

Medical School Student

Curtis received his BASc in chemical engineering from Queen’s University in Canada before transitioning to medical school at UVM. He is interested in neurovascular coupling, neuroengineering, and neurodegenerative disease pathology. In the Harraz Lab, Curtis helps with MATLAB data processing, analysis, and visualization of vascular LSCI experiments. In his free time, Curtis enjoys listening to live music as well as playing soccer, hockey, and guitar.

Henry Bijur

Undergraduate Student

Henry is an undergraduate student studying Neuroscience and French at UVM. Apart from academics, he enjoys being active outside, and at UVM, he is a member of the club soccer team, the freeski team, and the kayak club. 

Austin Ruggles

Undergraduate Student

Austin is an undergraduate at UVM, pursuing his B.S. in Biochemistry. He is interested in neurodegenerative diseases and vascular signaling processes. Apart from academics, he enjoys exploring the outdoors and photographing his adventures. He is also teaching himself how to snowboard. 


Maya Rao

Undergraduate Student

Maya is an undergraduate student pursuing her B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Molecular Genetics. She is particularly interested in ion channel biophysics and neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, Maya enjoys hiking and reading.


Trevor Harriman

Undergraduate Student

Trevor is an undergraduate student studying Biochemistry at UVM. He is particularly interested in mechanosensory ion channels and neurodegenerative disease. In his free time, Trevor enjoys playing drums and snowboarding.


Harraz Lab Alumni

  • Amanda Senatore

    Graduate student, OHSU

  • Hammad Ali

    Student, South Burlington High School

  • Ryan Duffany

    Gradute student, UVM

  • Luc Willemse

    Graduate student

  • Abby Kate Caproni

    Student, UVM

  • Cory Raymond

    CMB Graduate student

  • Skyler Younger

    NGP Graduate student

Graduate studies

We accept students in the following programs:

Join Us

The Harraz Lab always considers highly motivated applicants with interests in vascular physiology, pathophysiology, ion channels and imaging (whether we have an active advertisement or not).

Postdoctoral Associates:

A successful candidate will investigate ion channels and receptors in the vascular system under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The research will involve patch clamp electrophysiology, genetically engineered mouse models, primary cell culture, calcium imaging, and in vivo imaging of blood flow. We are specifically interested in individuals with research experience in vascular biology, ion channels, signal transduction pathways, small vessel and/or neurodegenerative diseases. Prior experience in vascular biology or neuroscience is essential, but most importantly, the successful candidate will possess a high level of self-motivation with a strong interest in the health implications of biomedical research.

Requirements:

·         Being passionate and motivated about scientific discovery

·         PhD in Physiology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology or a closely related field

·         Publications in vascular biology and/or ion channels in peer-reviewed journals

·         Experimental experience in patch clamp electrophysiology and/or vascular imaging

·         A strong background in vascular biology, ion channels, signal transduction pathways, small vessel and/or neurodegenerative diseases is highly desirable

Interested candidates should provide: 1) a cover letter to describe their research experience; 2) CV; 3) copies of published papers; and 4) contact information of three references. Please, email the above info to oharraz@uvm.edu.

Research Technicians:

Technicians in the lab will contribute to ongoing projects, perform experiments, and manage general lab supplies. Candidates should e-mail (oharraz@uvm.edu) a CV, a 1-page statement of research interests and career goals, and the contact information of three references. A minimum two year commitment is requested for all technicians.

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor degree in pharmacology, physiology, neuroscience or a related field. Two to three years’ experience in a laboratory environment. Effective written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills. Ability and willingness to adapt to changing situations of multiple, concurrent projects and to adjust priorities accordingly. Ability to work independently, in a timely fashion and in precision and accuracy. Desirable Qualifications: Experience with animal care, electrophysiology, cell culture, imaging, handling of small laboratory animals, and/or animal colony management. 

Graduate Students:

Interested graduate students (in the Graduate Programs listed above) are encouraged to contact Dr. Harraz (oharraz@uvm.edu) to set up a rotation. Please, include a CV with relevant research experience, coursework, and research interests. The Harraz lab is currently affiliated with the CMB and NGP programs at UVM.

Undergraduate Students:

Undergraduate students who are eager to learn are welcome in the Harraz Lab. Interested students should e-mail a CV with relevant coursework and experience, a brief statement of research interests and career goals, and the contact information of two references.