Rowaida Taha

Dr. Rowaida Taha

Research Associate

Neurological Disorders Research Center

Qatar Biomedical Research Institute

Emailrotaha@hbku.edu.qa
Phone+974 445 42543

Biography

Ms. Rowaida Ziad Taha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology from Jordan University of Science and Technology, College of Science (JUST). In 2008, she joined Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar, as a Research Technician. Her work was mainly on projects related to stem cell and cancer biology research, those which included a variety of molecular and cellular biology techniques. In 2010, she worked at Shafallah Medical Genetics Center (SMGC) as a Research Assistant focusing on delineating the spectrum and distribution of Family Mediterranean Fever (FMF) among Arab patients and on mutation identification for MEFV, to assist research into the genotype-phenotype correlation of these patients. In 2014, Ms. Taha joined QBRI as a Research Associate. She has mainly contributed to several variation verifications and sequencing validation for genes pertaining to Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Research Interests

Ms. Taha is currently working on investigating the molecular characterization of various immune checkpoint genes in breast and colorectal tumor microenvironment. Her research interest includes next generation sequencing of immune cells isolated from patients with various pathological conditions, to identify mutations in target genes. Additionally, her research interest is in the discovery of genes that underline various neurological disorders such as Epilepsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities. In addition, she is interested in applying advanced and recent molecular genetics techniques and analysis in research areas that include the identification of Copy Number Variations (CNV) related to the etiology of genetic diseases.

Selected Publications

Al-Sarraj Y, Al-Dous E, Taha RZ, Ahram D, Alshaban F, Tolfat M, El-Shanti H, Albagha OME.

Family-Based Genome-Wide Association Study of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Middle Eastern Families. Genes (Basel). 2021 May 18;12(5):761. doi: 10.3390/genes12050761.
Toor SM, Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Taha RZ, Murshed K, Al-Dhaheri M, Khawar M, Ahmed AA, Kurer MA, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Transcriptome of Tumor-Infiltrating T Cells in Colorectal Cancer Patients Uncovered a Unique Gene Signature in CD4+ T Cells Associated with Poor Disease-Specific Survival. Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Apr 1;9(4):334. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9040334.
Toor SM, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Murshed K, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Differential gene expression of tumor-infiltrating CD33+ myeloid cells in advanced- versus early-stage colorectal cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2021 Mar;70(3):803-815. doi: 10.1007/s00262-020-02727-0.
Toor SM, Saleh R, Sasidharan Nair V, Taha RZ, Elkord E.

T-cell responses and therapies against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Immunology. 2021 Jan;162(1):30-43. doi: 10.1111/imm.13262.
2021
Saleh R, Taha RZ, Toor SM, Sasidharan Nair V, Murshed K, Khawar M, Al-Dhaheri M, Petkar MA, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Expression of immune checkpoints and T cell exhaustion markers in early and advanced stages of colorectal cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2020 Oct;69(10):1989-1999. doi: 10.1007/s00262-020-02593-w.
Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Taha RZ, Toor SM, Murshed K, Ahmed AA, Kurer MA, Abu Nada M, Al Ejeh F, Elkord E.

Differential gene expression of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells in advanced versus early stage colorectal cancer and identification of a gene signature of poor prognosis. Oncoimmunology. 2020 Sep 30;9(1):1825178. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2020.1825178
Saleh R, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Toor SM, Alajez NM, Elkord E.

Transcriptomic Profiling of Circulating HLA-DR- Myeloid Cells, Compared with HLA-DR+ Myeloid Antigen-presenting Cells. Immunol Invest. 2020 Jul 29:1-12. doi: 10.1080/08820139.2020.1795875
Toor SM, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Murshed K, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Differential gene expression of tumor-infiltrating CD33+ myeloid cells in advanced- versus early-stage colorectal cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2021 Mar;70(3):803-815. doi: 10.1007/s00262-020-02727-0.
2020
Saleh R, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Alajez NM, Elkord E.

PD-L1 Blockade by Atezolizumab Downregulates Signaling Pathways Associated with Tumor Growth, Metastasis, and Hypoxia in Human Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Jul 25;11(8):1050. doi: 10.3390/cancers11081050.
2019
Sasidharan Nair V, Al Salhat H, Taha RZ, John A, Ali BR, Elkord E

Epigenetic modifications in the immune checkpoint genes PD-1, CTLA-4, TIM-3, LAG-3, PD-L1 and TIGIT in human breast tumor tissues (Submitted).
Hadj-Rabia S, Brideau G, Al-Sarraj Y, Maroun RC, Figueres ML, Leclerc-Mercier S, Olinger E, Baron S, Chaussain C, Nochy D, Taha RZ, Knebelmann B, Joshi V, Curmi PA, Kambouris M, Vargas-Poussou R, Bodemer C, Devuyst O, Houillier P, El-Shanti H.

Multiplex epithelium dysfunction due to CLDN10 mutation: the HELIX syndrome. Genet Med. 2018 Feb;20(2):190-201.
2018
Ahram DF, Al-Sarraj Y, Taha RZ, Elhag SF, Al-Shaban FA, El-Shanti H, Kambouris M. A chromosomal microdeletion of 15q in a female patient with epilepsy, ID, and autism spectrum disorder: a case report.

Clin Case Rep. 2017 May 12;5(6):1013-1017.
2017
Moussa T, Aladbe B, Taha RZ, Remmers EF, El-Shanti H, Fathalla BM. (2015).

Overlap of familial Mediterranean fever and hyper-IgD syndrome in an Arabic kindred. Journal of Clinical Immunology.;35(3):249-53.
2015
Al-Sarraj Y, Al-Khair HA, Taha RZ, Khattab N, El Sayed ZH, Elhusein B,El-Shanti H. (2014)

Distal trisomy 10q syndrome, report of a patient with duplicated q24.31 - qter, autism spectrum disorder and unusual features. Clin Case Rep.; 2(5):201-5
2014
The entire list of publications can be viewed here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Taha%20RZ

Qatar Biomedical Research Institute QBRI

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Dr. Rowaida Taha

Biography

Research Interests

Selected Publications

Al-Sarraj Y, Al-Dous E, Taha RZ, Ahram D, Alshaban F, Tolfat M, El-Shanti H, Albagha OME.

Toor SM, Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Taha RZ, Murshed K, Al-Dhaheri M, Khawar M, Ahmed AA, Kurer MA, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Toor SM, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Murshed K, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Toor SM, Saleh R, Sasidharan Nair V, Taha RZ, Elkord E.

Saleh R, Taha RZ, Toor SM, Sasidharan Nair V, Murshed K, Khawar M, Al-Dhaheri M, Petkar MA, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Taha RZ, Toor SM, Murshed K, Ahmed AA, Kurer MA, Abu Nada M, Al Ejeh F, Elkord E.

Saleh R, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Toor SM, Alajez NM, Elkord E.

Toor SM, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Saleh R, Murshed K, Abu Nada M, Elkord E.

Saleh R, Taha RZ, Sasidharan Nair V, Alajez NM, Elkord E.

Sasidharan Nair V, Al Salhat H, Taha RZ, John A, Ali BR, Elkord E

Hadj-Rabia S, Brideau G, Al-Sarraj Y, Maroun RC, Figueres ML, Leclerc-Mercier S, Olinger E, Baron S, Chaussain C, Nochy D, Taha RZ, Knebelmann B, Joshi V, Curmi PA, Kambouris M, Vargas-Poussou R, Bodemer C, Devuyst O, Houillier P, El-Shanti H.

Ahram DF, Al-Sarraj Y, Taha RZ, Elhag SF, Al-Shaban FA, El-Shanti H, Kambouris M. A chromosomal microdeletion of 15q in a female patient with epilepsy, ID, and autism spectrum disorder: a case report.

Moussa T, Aladbe B, Taha RZ, Remmers EF, El-Shanti H, Fathalla BM. (2015).

Al-Sarraj Y, Al-Khair HA, Taha RZ, Khattab N, El Sayed ZH, Elhusein B,El-Shanti H. (2014)