BIO
Omar grew up in Cairo, Egypt and received his B.E. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ, where he worked on a pediatric medical device for monitoring airflow following a tracheostomy. Currently a BME PhD candidate, co-advised by Mike Economo, Omar is interested in understanding brain machine interfaces and investigating multi-region communication. Outside of work, he enjoys playing soccer, basketball, and tennis, traveling with family and friends, and playing Pro Clubs and COD.
Current Work
Omar is currently exploring the influence of Motor Cortex (Mtx) cell types on the dynamics of downstream subcortical regions within the brain’s orofacial circuit. Through cell-type specific optogenetic perturbations, his research aims to investigate the role of a specific cell-type on sensory-guided movements, the neural dynamics within the Mtx that rely on each cell-type, and whether distinct cell types drive unique dynamics in downstream circuits. The goal is to understand how high level areas control the low level circuits involved in movements.