Firyal Ramzan, PhD, is a CIHR-funded Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Dale Martin’s lab at the University of Waterloo. Her research uses a combination of biochemical, molecular biology, and behavioral approaches to investigate the role of fatty acylation in VCP-associated multisystem proteinopathy – a rare disease that affects the brain, bone, and muscle. By defining the role of fatty acylation in disease progression, her work aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and inform precision treatments.
Firyal earned her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Toronto, where she investigated how epigenetic mechanisms and sex steroid hormones shape stress-enhanced memory. Beyond the lab, she is passionate about STEM outreach, having worked with organizations like Let’s Talk Science, Science Rendezvous, and the Canadian Association for Girls in Science, and continues to host disease-focused groups in the lab.
When she’s not researching, Firyal enjoys baking (latest interest is sourdough!), hiking, and spending time with family.
