Our Story

Algerian Women in Science is a group that started in April 2020 to create an efficient network for future collaborations. The purpose is to build a safe scientific community, dedicated to train future Algerian women leaders in science and help them to advance their careers. Indeed, we believe that the neutrality of science is essential for the emancipation of women and through this, women have an essential role in the society.

From   the   beggining

Where   we   are   now

Algeria have a huge diaspora where a lot of Algerian women are at different locations and positions in the world. This creates a large group of qualified women with different experiences. The idea is to build a bridge between all those women to share information efficiently and promote the career of women in science.

Since the coronavirus pandemic has begun, the scientific community is left with the responsibility to answer the challenges. This opened an urgent need to connect with each other, and create a cohort of women scientists to build leaders and face the needs of our times.

Meet Our Team

More importantly we are a group of friends and collaborators that met at graduate school or working life. We decided to live the adventure of Algerian Women in Science to spread our knowledge and experience.

Anissa Belfetmi, Ph.D.

Founder 

I was born and raised in Algeria where my love for nature and science let me to pursue Biology studies. After the completion of my Bachelor in Biochemistry I went to France for a Master in Cell and Molecular Biology at Pierre and Marie Curie (Sorbonne University), then I fulfilled a thesis to study the HIV-1 Nucleocapsid protein using biophysical techniques at ENS Paris-Saclay. I am currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School remaining in the field of Structural Biology. The idea of ALWIS came after participating in several discussion panels and workshops for women in Science. Through several conversations with Algerian women fellow, it was clear that Algerian women in science are lacking mentoring during their career path and we were more than ready to help each other in creating a connected scientific community.

Sabrina Absalon, Ph.D.

Vice-President & Co-Chair of Mentoring

Born and raised in France, I grew up among a multicultural family with a French mother and a Kabyle Father. My passion for understanding how Nature works led me to pursue a Ph.D. at the University Pierre and Marie in Dr. Philippe Bastin's Lab at Pasteur Institute Paris where I focused on studying flagellum assembly and function in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Then I moved to Boston for my first postdoctoral training in Dr. Anna Krichevsky's Lab at the Harvard Institute of Medicine to determine the contribution of microRNAs to Alzheimer's disease progression. In 2011, I went back to parasitology and joined a research group led by Dr. Jeffrey Dvorin at Boston Children's Hospital, where I studied the molecular pathogenesis of malaria infection. In October 2019, I joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where I am currently an Assistant professor. While women represent more than half of the human population we are a minority in the world of science. The Algerian Women In Science can change the gender narrative in science and I am here to inspire, promote and mentor them so Algerian women in science can contribute to change our world.

Lydia Ait Belkacem

Chair of talent acquisition

I am a Biophysics and Biochemistry graduate from London. I have experience working in institutional, biophysics and genetic research at multiple institutions spanning five years. I was born in Algiers and moved to the UAE quite young. I grew up in a very international environment that encouraged me to pursue science, especially as I was inspired by my Biology teacher in high school. I understood the importance of having science friends and connections who were ambitious women and that’s how I find myself here today ecstatic to be a part of the ALWIS team.

Sarah Maskri, Ph.D.

Chair of member services

My name is Maskri Sarah, I was born and grew up in Algeria, I am now a PhD fellow at the German Research Foundation in Germany ( with 2 stays abroad one in University of Oxford in UK and one in University of Stanford in the USA ) in the field of computational drug design/ medicinal chemistry of GPCRs and Ion channel proteins. Durring the past, I worked as a research assistant in University of New England college of Pharmacy in Portland, ME, USA, in the field of computational drug design of new kinase inhibitors starting from green tea derivatives. I did a double MSc degree between University of Strasbourg (France), Paris Diderot University ( France) and University of Milano (Italy ) in the fields of Medicinal chemistry/Artificial Intelligence/ In silico drug design. I obtained my BSc degree in Chemistry in Montpellier ( France). I am a person who takes initiatives and have a great capacity of adaptation, as a fact I am a global volunteer at the United Nations to fight for women's rights in South-America. In general I am professional with a friendly interaction style.

Nour Benbahouche, Ph.D.

Mentor

I was born, raised and had my entire education until my master degree in Algeria. Afterwards, I went to France for a PhD where I joined the group of Dr. Edouard Bertrand at the IGMM of Montpellier and worked on many protein complexes required for RNA maturation. After my PhD, I moved to the UK and joined the group of Pr. Martin Bushell at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research as a postdoctoral fellow. My research project aimed at targeting the protein LARP1 to overcome treatment resistance in cancer cells and since that I am pursuing my scientific career in the cancer research field. Despite their omnipresence in scientific fileds, Algerian women in science remain underestimated and there is no doubt that a more collaborative network need to be built. Thus, by joinning this amazing group I am ready to mentor, network and collaborate but most importantly to inspire and be inspired.

Maskri Ouerdia,  Ph.D.

Chair of communication

Sarah Dib, CRA

Mentor

Ouassila Habi, Ph.D.

Co-Chair of Mentoring

Sarah Helal

Social media monitor