Hello everyone!
My name is Marc El Hasbany, I am a PhD candidate in theoretical chemistry at the Institut de Chimie de Nice. Originally from Lebanon, I moved to Paris, where I lived for two years to complete my training in bioinformatics, before moving to Nice and starting my PhD.
My current research focuses on olfactory receptors, a class of G protein-coupled receptors. I use computational approaches such as molecular dynamics simulations and structural modeling to investigate their activation and inhibition mechanisms, as well as their ligand interactions. Another goal of my research is to identify inverse agonists of an olfactory receptor expressed in sperm cells (yes you read that right, sperm cells can technically “smell”), for which I use virtual screening approaches.
The BioExcel Summer School will be my first summer school (just like Sergio’s!), and I’m really looking forward to it. Outside of research, I enjoy strolling around the city and swimming. And for those of you who watch House of the Dragon, I’m team Black 
I can’t wait to meet everyone in June! See you soon!
Best,
Marc