My Journey

My journey in astronomy research has not been a straight path, and the more I learn in life the more I come to see that nearly nothing follows a straight path at all, and that the most adventurous of journeys are the ones with unexpected twists and turns. I'm originally an engineer, I got my bachelor's degree in electric and communication engineering from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. One thing I loved about engineering school is working in the optics lab with lasers and spectrometers.

Soon after my first year, I discovered that my passion and true calling in life is not in engineering, rather it's in astronomy! You'd think changing majors is normal, and not unheard of, but actually that's not something very common or easily accepted in my community. So I had to first finish five long and hard years in engineering school before I could pursue astronomy academically.

Turns out doing a master's in astronomy in Egypt where you have not graduate from science school is not that easy. In fact, it's non-existent. No University in Egypt accepted me into a master's in astronomy right away (nor in Canada for that matter).
So after engineering school, I had to take a one-year graduate diploma in astronomy and astrophysics from Cairo University to bridge the gap between my engineering education and the astronomy education I need. This one-year diploma was the starting point in my path into astronomy research, for after I finished it, I participated in and published research with Prof. Alaa Ali of Cairo University on wide binary and multi-nuclus systems at the center of planetary nebulae. Read more

Having an international perspective on astronomy research has benefited me greatly. In March of 2023, I participated in the AfAs Hackathon in South Africa which focused on the use of machine learning in astronomy data analysis. Later that year, I took part in the ASPIRE summer research program with the University of Amsterdam where I participated in research on the ever dazzling AM CVn stars.

In October 2024, I joined the team of Al Sadeem Astronomy in Abu Dhabi, UAE as the Chief Space & Astronomy Editor. I am in love with my experience with Al Sadeem, it is fullfilling, satisfying, and with the flexibility I wish for in my career. Check out Al Sadeem socials here: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

My participation in the International Astronomical Union General Assembly 2024 (IAU - GA) was one of the most remarkable experiences in my career. I got to revisit the beautiful South Africa and be in Cape Town for the first time. But most importantly, I got to meet tens of fabulous astronomers from all over the planet in the first GA to be hosted in the African continent, which normally made me so proud of what South Africa has been able to achieve. I also got the chance to present a poster and talk about my research with fellow astro folks.

In the fall of 2024, I was accepted in the international School for Young Astronomers (ISYA) in the beautiful country of Algeria. I loved and enjoyed my time immensely and above all learnt a lot of skills in astronomy and astrophysics. The school is so demanding academically but so incredibly worth it and rewarding. I met students and professors from all over the world that I can now call my friends. ISYA is definitely a key step in my academic career.

Currently- I am enrolled as a master's student in the Astrophysics and Cosmology program at the University of Bologna in Italy and until further notice, I'm enjoying both the food and the stars.

What's next for me, you ask? Well— that's a question for fate, but all the good I'm sure! And I'm willing to take it all in with open arms.