Afaf Saliba Jaafar grew up in a tiny village in Lebanon, where her dream of pursuing a career in science seemed, at first, a farfetched one. But with a series of small steps, and a chess scholarship, she found herself on the path to a PhD.

“Nothing was very well planned, but I had the dream that I wanted to do something good for this world,” Jaafar said.

Jaafar, a soon-to-be PhD graduate of the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, attributes her early interest in science to a house filled with books.

“I remember I read a story about the Nobel Prize and read about a female Nobel Prize winner and thought, I want do something like that too,” she said.

When Jaafar obtained a scholarship for her elite chess skills, she was able to leave her small town for a prestigious university in a big city. Later, she enrolled at the American University of Beirut, which was her first exposure to research and provided her opportunities to study in the U.S.

“I approach goals one step at a time, and achieving each milestone feels like a dream come true. Yet, with every goal I complete, I find there’s always more to accomplish,” she said.

The transition to research scientist

Jaafar worked as a visiting scientist at UT Health San Antonio for a year before enrolling in the program and was happy to pursue her research career in a place she already considered home.

“I got to experience the spirit here, so I was very sure that this was the place I wanted to join. The spirit is so enriching and welcoming,” she said.

Under the mentorship of Kumar Sharma, MD, FAHA, FASN, chief of the Division of Nephrology, Hillis Chair and vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine, and director of the Center for Precision Medicine, Jaafar had the opportunity to contribute to more than 10 publications in the lab and conduct two well-funded projects during her time as a PhD student, studying how kidney disease affects brain health and testing novel therapies for acute kidney injury. Both of her projects resulted in high-impact, first-authored papers.

“Through my research, I hope to protect brain health so that patients are able to have a better quality of life and better fight their disease,” she said.

Building support for others

In addition to her important research, Jaafar also leaves a legacy of support and outreach for fellow students and the community, establishing two student initiatives on campus.

As a mother of three — with her youngest born just as the COVID-19 pandemic put the country in lockdown — Jaafar felt called to help other parents pursuing PhDs while juggling the demands of family care by creating a community and culture of support for parenting students on campus. She was proactive, aggregating the available resources in the community and later organizing a panel discussion about parenting throughout a career in science.

“The best advice I could give to students is to ask for help. You’re not alone. That’s what the graduate school taught me here, that you’re not alone,” Jaafar said.

In addition, Jaafar founded the Science Policy Group, which aims to bridge the gap between science policy and people in the community. She felt this group was especially necessary to create during the pandemic, when she found many people she knew, including those she was close with, were resistant to getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I saw that there was a huge gap between the science and the people, so I thought, let’s do something about that,” she said.

With support from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and from Research!America, the group hosted lectures, workshops and other events with the aim of bringing science beyond the bench. Notably, the group participated in Viva Science, the graduate school’s annual event held during Fiesta, where they distributed science kits to children and engaged with families to take the science to the public through fun and learning.

After graduation, Jaafar will pursue further training and has already received offers for postdoctoral positions with potential expedited opportunities for faculty advancement.

“My ultimate goal is to become an independent investigator, mentor others, and contribute to groundbreaking discoveries,” Jaafar said. “I have benefited greatly from exceptional mentorship, and I am excited to pay it forward.”