About me

I am passionate about computational biology and aiming to take on the grand challenge of analyzing the unprecedented scale of biological data. Check my latest publications in my scholar profile.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Computational Biology at the University of Luxembourg.

    Doctoral Dissertation.

  • Master in Bioinformatics at Université Denis Diderot, Paris, France.

    This is where I got my first formal training in bioinformatics through the support of inspiring mentors like Prof. Catehrine Etchebest at Paris Diderot and Dr. Zsolt Böcksei at Sanofi.

  • Bachelor in Applied Mathematics at Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.

  • Docteur en Pharmacie at the University of Monastir, Faculty of Pharmacy, Monastir, Tunisia.

    I am a pharmacist by training, I took courses and performed internships in clinical biology. I was mentored by Col. Mehdi Dridi, and supervised by Dr. Mariem Ben Hmida for the research project. Doctoral dissertation

  • Software

  • ACHR.cu: A CUDA implementation of a popular sampling algorithm of metabolic models.
  • veryfastFVA (VFFVA): A dynamically load balanced flux variability analysis of metabolic models.
  • HeliStatistiX: A tool for the analysis of transmembrane helix tilt and packing angles.
  • Service to profession

    I am active in various student and professional associations. My activities are focused towards the empowerment of students through professional development and peer training.

    Past activities

  • International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF):

    successively design and creativity subcomittee member, medicine awareness coordinator, pharmacy education chairperson, and advisory board member.

  • International Society for Computational Biology's Regional Student Group Luxembourg (RSG Luxembourg):

    successively cofounder, secretary general, board member, and advisory board member.

  • Active memberships

  • International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Pharmacy Information Section.
  • International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB).
  • Société Française de Bioinformatique (SFBI).
  • Pump it up!

    In 2014, I imagined with Dr. Johan Thunberg at the University of Luxembourg a subcutaneous levodopa pump that adapts the infusion speed with respect to three feedback sensors: i) hand shaking, ii) brain local field potential, and iii) real time levodopa concentrations in the brain.

    White paper

    We layed down our vision for the levodopa pump and designed a mathematical model to simulate its impact on the control of Parkinson's Disease.

    Awards

    Falling Walls Luxembourg 2015

    We were third in the Falling Walls Lab innovation competition and won a 500 eur award to pursue the project.
    Team: Marouen Ben Guebila and Johan Thunberg.

    Hacking Health Camp 2018

    We won two awards in one of the most renown health hackathons, which took place in Strasbourg, France. The first award was from the insurance group VYV. The second award was from the French syndicate of medical practioneers.
    Team: Marouen Ben Guebila, Aurélien Michot, and Quentin.

    Prototype

    We devoloped the prototype of the pump in the hacking health camp 2018. We used a Raspberry Pi and a three axis accelerometer to analyze the hand movemenets and detect frequencies associated with dyskinesia or akinesia in Parkinson disease.

    Market

    Subcutaneous pumps in Parkinson's disease were applied to the administration of apomorphine. Levodopa could be continuously administrated through jejunal pumps. The subcutanous injection of levodopa is in development by neuroderm, but the feedback control remains a technical and theoretical challenge.

    Acknowledgments

    This page wouldn't exist without the passion and determination of two inspiring people: Johan Thunberg and Aurélien Michot. Aurélien Michot was essential in the development of the prototype in the Hacking Health Camp and Johan Thunberg developed the theoretical controller for the pump.