Faculty Profile Mike Osta

Professor Mike Osta

In September 2007, the Biology Department at AUB welcomed Assistant Professor Mike Osta as a member of its faculty. A biochemist and molecular biologist, Osta possesses impressive expertise in the fields of genomics, molecular genetics, and innate immunity of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

No stranger to AUB, Osta obtained both his BS in biology (1992-95) and his MS in microbiology and immunology (1995-97) from the University, where he realized his area of interest in research while at medical school. Although not primarily French-educated, he was a pioneer in the Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies program at Saint Joseph University (Beirut) in collaboration with the Universities Montpellier I and II (France), and later became one of the only two candidates selected to pursue their PhD at Montpellier II in biochemistry and molecular biology (1998-2002).

In 2002, Osta went to Germany as a postdoctoral fellow to work in research on the three fields of his expertise for three and a half years, before moving to Imperial College London to continue his research on malaria and the responsible mosquito's innate immunity (2005-07). He intends to continue this research at AUB and expects the lab infrastructure to be ready by the end of July 2008, when a 3mX2mX2m walk-in insectory will be set up for insect micro-manipulation, involving injection and dissection. Eggs will be imported from London for culture at AUB, so that a colony can be available for the study.

"This research will expose AUB students to vector diseases that are quite prevalent in this region," said Osta, who is enjoying his first teaching experience and says he finds AUB students to be competent and mature. In spite of advice against coming to the fragile situation in Lebanon, Osta is very happy to be able to "give back" to his community and appreciates the support he gets from his colleagues and friends. A father to a three-year-old child, Osta still finds time to read scientific papers, go fishing, and swim at leisure.