Haifa Alsharif, Ph.D., with her mentor Sushant Bhatnagar, Ph.D., at the American Diabetes Association 85th Scientific Sessions in Chicago in June 2025.
Haifa Alsharif, Ph.D., joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2017 to earn a master’s degree in biotechnology and continued her Ph.D. studies in the Graduate Biomedical Sciences program. She said working under Dr. Sushant Bhatnagar’s mentorship in the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) shaped her scientific path and deepened her appreciation for metabolic and diabetes research.

“UAB became more than a place to study; it truly felt like home and a community that helped me grow as a scientist and person,” she said.

Alsharif came from a family with a history of Type 2 diabetes, which always made her wonder why both of her grandparents had it. As a child, she used to think diabetes was just something that came with age, but later she realized not all older people have it.

“That realization sparked my curiosity,” she said. “Growing up in Saudi Arabia, where diabetes is highly prevalent, I became fascinated by what drives this disease and how metabolism is regulated.”

In the Bhatnagar Lab, Alsharif said she learned how to think deeply about biology, design meaningful experiments, and connect molecular findings to whole-body physiology. 

“The lab taught me persistence, creativity, and how valuable collaboration and mentorship can be in research,” she said.

Representing the Bhatnagar Lab, Haifa Alsharif, Ph.D., gave an oral presentation and presented a poster at the American Diabetes Association 85th Scientific Sessions in Chicago.Research Focus

Alsharif attained her Ph.D. in fall of 2024 and continued her research as a post-doctoral fellow at UCDC. Her research focused on understanding how a specific G-protein coupled receptor called BAI3 regulates whole-body energy and glucose homeostasis, and concentrated on its role in adipose tissue. She studied how it affects energy expenditure, thermogenesis, and lipid metabolism.

“All projects in the Bhatnagar Lab were amazing; however, my favorite project was everything about BAI3,” she said. “Seeing that idea grow from a question into a story was incredibly rewarding.”

Alsharif received several awards for student mentorship and research presentations during her time at UCDC; however, she said presenting at the 2023 Graduate Biomedical Sciences Symposium at UAB stood out the most to her as she won first-place for best oral presentation.

“It was also my first award and reminded me how much I believed in and loved my project,” she said. “I have always found great satisfaction in sharing my research with others. Presenting our findings to experts in the field and representing UAB on those stages has been such a proud part of my journey.”

What’s Next?

Alsharif has exciting plans. She recently joined Dr. Barbara Kahn’s lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School as a postdoctoral fellow, where she is continuing to study adipose tissue biology and metabolic regulation. 

“My long-term goal is to establish an independent research program focused on understanding and targeting metabolic diseases,” she said.

Alsharif said the UCDC will always be a special part of her journey.

“I truly enjoyed every moment working there and always felt supported and at home,” she said. “I will always be grateful for the mentorship, friendships, and inspiration I found in such a collaborative environment.”