Dr Soukaina Bahsoun

In October 2021, Soukaina joined Loughborough as a Graduate University Teacher, and was promoted to University Teacher in 2022. Soukaina contributes to the teaching of various bioscience modules. 

In March 2020, Soukaina completed her PhD in Regenerative Medicine at Loughborough University. Her PhD was funded by EPSRC through the Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine, and addressed the cryopreservation of human bone marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hBM-MSCs). Prior to joining Loughborough, Soukaina obtained a BSc degree in Biology from the Lebanese University and a First-Class Open Degree in Science from the Open University. As part of her undergraduate studies, she also attended the University of Victoria in Canada.

As a PhD researcher, Soukaina was part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine at Loughborough University. Regenerative Medicine is currently one of the most active areas of research in public health. Human bone marrow-Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hBM-MSCs) are viewed as a primary tool for the cell therapy and regenerative medicine industries. However, the translation from “bench to bedside” still requires a reliable cell preservation method that does not affect cell identity, viability and, before all, cell functions. Soukaina’s research interest is to develop efficient cell preservation processes aiming at informing cell manufacturing, storing and transporting strategies. 

• Bahsoun, S., Kuiper, J.H., Hulme, C.H., Twigg, A.J.A., El Masri, W., Glass, C., Soni, B., Kumar, N., Chowdhury, J.R., Osman, A. and Wright, K.T., 2021. Evaluating patient perspectives on participating in scientific research and clinical trials for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Scientific reports, 11(1), pp.1-9.
• Bahsoun, S., 2020. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of the impact of cryopreservation on human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Doctoral dissertation, Loughborough University).
• Bahsoun, S., Coopman, K. and Akam, E.C., 2020. Quantitative assessment of the impact of cryopreservation on human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells: up to 24 h post-thaw and beyond. Stem cell research & therapy, 11(1), pp.1-15.
• Bahsoun, S., Coopman, K. and Akam, E.C., 2019. The impact of cryopreservation on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells: a systematic review. Journal of translational medicine, 17(1), pp.1-29.
• Brown, M.J., Bahsoun, S., Morris, M.A. and Akam, E.C., 2019. Determining conditions for successful culture of multi-cellular 3D tumour spheroids to investigate the effect of mesenchymal stem cells on breast cancer cell invasiveness. Bioengineering, 6(4), p.101.
• Bahsoun, S., Coopman, K., Forsyth, N.R. and Akam, E.C., 2018. The role of dissolved oxygen levels on human mesenchymal stem cell culture success, regulatory compliance, and therapeutic potential. Stem cells and development, 27(19), pp.1303-1321.