Ola Wasfi

Dr. Ola Wasfi, MSc, PhD
Medicinal Microbiology Coordinator
School of Pharmacy
University of Waterloo
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Education Info

Master of Quality Management (2007), Wollongong University (Australian University, Dubai campus, UAE)
Doctor of Public Health Sciences (Public Health Microbiology) (2000), High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt Specialization: Diagnostic Bacteriology
Thesis: Bacterial meningitis in Alexandria
The main aim of the Doctorate thesis was to determine the prevalence of bacterial meningitis in Alexandria, Egypt, to diagnose the most common bacterial agents, and to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the conventional methods with those of the recent diagnostic methods such as Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Master of Public Health Sciences (Public Health Microbiology) (1996), High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt, Specialization: Sanitary Bacteriology
Thesis: Listeria Monocytogenes in processed cheese and meat products.
The main aim of the Master's thesis was to isolate and enumerate Listeria Monocytogenes from cheese and meat samples, and to compare different culture media in the isolation of Listeria Monocytogenes.

About Ola

Ola was most recently in charge of the Premarital Screening Laboratory in the UAE. Prior to this, she was a lecturer of Microbiology in Dubai Pharmacy College, UAE. Her professional experience, which included teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students and the supervision of a Diagnostic Microbiology Laboratory, has focused on the diagnosis of bacteria and viruses by the use of different diagnostic techniques such as the Polymerase Chain Reaction and Chemiluminescent technique. She obtained her doctorate degree in the field of Public Health Microbiology, studying different conventional and recent techniques in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis with emphasis on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Ola is interested in research work in the fields of virology, bacteriology, genetics and molecular biology.

Ola is focussing her research on the development of novel M. tuberculosis and S. aureus antibacterial treatments employing phage and novel phage systems. She also currently instructs and was heavily involved in designing Canada’s first Medical Microbiology Laboratory to be offered by a Pharmacy curriculum.