Research Interests

  • ​Diversity and functions of microorganisms in the Red Sea ecosystem.
  • Sandstorms and their impact on the Red Sea microbiome.
  • Potential transport of pathogenic microorganisms via sandstorms.
  • Red Sea as a source of microbial enzymes for biotechnological applications.

Professional Profile

  • ​2014-Present: Research Scientist, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • 2011-2013: Honorary Lecturer, Department of Medicine, UBC, Vancouver, Canada
  • 2009-2013: Research Scientist, Department of Medicine, UBC, Vancouver, Canada
  • 2007-2009: Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Medicine, UBC, Vancouver, Canada

Education Profile

  • ​Ph.D., Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada, 2007
  • M.Sc., Pathology, UBC, Vancouver, Canada, 1999
  • B.Sc., Medical Laboratory Science, UBC, Vancouver, Canada, 1993

Selected Publications

Conchouso, D., Al-Ma’abadi, A., Behzad, H., Alarawi, M., Hosokawa, M., Nishikawa, Y., … Gojobori, T. (2021). Integration of Droplet Microfluidic Tools for Single-cell Functional Metagenomics: An Engineering Head Start. https://doi.org/10.36227/techrxiv.14760726.v1
Behzad, H., Ibarra, M. A., Mineta, K., & Gojobori, T. (2016). Metagenomic studies of the Red Sea. Gene, 576(2), 717–723. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2015.10.034