Student Spotlight: Hadel Al Asafen

Hadel Al Asafen earned a Paul & Ellen Deisler Fellowship. Her research is on gene regulation and has earned her an award to attend a workshop in California. Read further to learn more about her PhD research and advice for graduate students.

What motivates you about your research?

What motivates me about my research is the belief that the principles of chemical engineering can transform the way we understand gene expression. Gene regulation is not a simple on-or-off process, but it is dynamic, complex, and influenced by a range of biochemical and physical factors. By applying the fundamentals of chemical engineering, such as process control, mass transfer, and transport phenomena, we can gain deeper insight into how gene expression and tissue patterning happen during development. This molecular-level understanding can, in turn, help us understand processes at the tissue level.

What is a highlight in your PhD experience and what did you take away from  the experience?

A defining highlight of my PhD journey was receiving an award to attend the Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics Workshop on Advanced Fluorescence Imaging and Dynamics at the University of California, Irvine. During this workshop, I learned about image fluctuation spectroscopy directly from leading biophysicists in the field. Inspired by these techniques, I initiated a collaboration with a plant biology laboratory at North Carolina State University to investigate the diffusion and dynamic behavior of a protein homolog involved in the NF-κB signaling pathway. This experience reinforced an important lesson for me: true innovation and transformative discoveries emerge at the intersection of engineering and science and it is precisely at this intersection that my research thrives.

What advice do you have for current graduate students?

A PhD is not just about finishing experiments, writing a thesis, or mastering technical skills. While those are important milestones, they are not the true essence of the PhD journey.

A PhD is really about growth. It is about learning to think critically, creatively, and independently. It is about developing resilience when things do not go as planned and learning to navigate uncertainty with curiosity and confidence.

It is also about collaboration. You will discover how to communicate across disciplines, seek mentorship, and build partnerships that move science forward.

You will make mistakes, but each one will teach you something valuable. You will learn to lead projects, manage your time, mentor others, and find your unique research voice.

Most importantly, remember that your PhD is not about checking boxes. It is about becoming the kind of thinker and problem solver who can create new knowledge.