Dr Saber Abd Elkader

Molecular Neuroscience

Dr. Saber Abdelkader began his research career in 2014 as a research and teaching assistant at Assiut University, Egypt, where he also earned his MSc in cell biology in 2017. In 2018, he undertook a research fellowship at Kanazawa Medical University in Japan, where he investigated the role of extracellular vesicles in cancer biology.

During his PhD at the University of Queensland (UQ), Dr. Abdelkader made significant contributions to our understanding of neuronal lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function. His work revealed that the loss of DDHD2 disrupts saturated free fatty acid (sFFA) homeostasis, leading to impaired synaptic function in hereditary spastic paraplegia 54 (HSP54). This research, which integrated electron microscopy, lipidomics, and molecular biology, was published in EMBO Reports (co-first author).

In a related study published in Nature Metabolism (first author), Dr. Abdelkader demonstrated that DDHD2-derived sFFAs are essential for neuronal β-oxidation and ATP production. In parallel, he led a complementary research program targeting N-myristoyltransferases (NMT1/2) as host-directed antiviral targets. Using brain organoids, air–liquid interface (ALI) cultures, and in vivo models, he demonstrated broad-spectrum antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, RSV, VSV, and SFV. This work has been accepted for publication in Nature Communications (first author).

Currently, Dr. Abdelkader's research focuses on the role of phospholipid-modifying enzymes in regulating cellular membrane trafficking in neurons under both physiological and pathological conditions. He is also investigating how lipid-modifying enzymes influence SARS-CoV-2 replication, assembly, and release. To address these questions, he employs a multidisciplinary approach combining biochemistry, cell biology, gene editing, and advanced imaging techniques to uncover how specific phospholipases modulate membrane dynamics and virus-host interactions.