Hamza Mbareche

Hamza Mbareche works at the intersection of scientific research and practical applications, in key roles in academia, health technology industry and in his own air quality consulting business.

He believes in applying his experience to make an impact in real-world situations, improving lives and reducing health risks for communities across North America. Beyond the theoretical aspect of studying complex air quality issues, he sees a practical need to offer solutions, especially in regard to air quality issues in residential and office environments.

As a scientist, Hamza Mbareche explores the hidden realms of airborne microbes and the gut microbiome, using omics data and bioinformatics, making new discoveries and advancing human understanding. An expert on infectious diseases, viral transmission, and public health, Mbareche is also a researcher, trainer, consultant, and author.

Hamza Mbareche is skilled in turning data into valuable information to aid in strategic decision-making and problem-solving, as evidenced by making over 20 scientific discoveries in a broad range of fields, including infectious diseases transmission and the microbiome’s contribution to Crohn’s disease development.

Mbareche has a depth of experience in developing and implementing bioinformatics tools to analyze multi-omic datasets. He is highly proficient in Python and R and has experience with the analysis of next-generation sequencing data, Bioconductor packages, workflow management systems (e.g., Nextflow, Snakemake), high-performance computing, and Linux. Dr. Mbareche has developed bioinformatics solutions leading to 25+ cross-disciplinary collaborations in clinical research in the public and private sector.

More generally, Hamza Mbareche’s skills include creative problem-solving, adaptability, R/Bioconductor and Python packages, and scientific writing and communication. He has strong critical thinking skills with expertise in developing and implementing new solutions, as evidenced by improving more than 30 molecular biology and bioinformatics methods, including three with a direct impact on medical practice.

Hamza Mbareche spearheaded $5.5 million CAD in funding grants, a patent in progress for Crohn’s disease treatment, and bioinformatics infrastructure builds in three clinical laboratories.

Recognized for his organizational skills, he was selected to lead end-to-end research projects from ideation and design to publication and science communication. He has been published in a range of peer-viewed, top-ranked journals spanning multiple fields, including Applied and Environmental Microbiology, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and The Lancet Digital Health. He also authored a chapter in the Encyclopedia of Mycology, edited by the academic publishing house Elsevier.

Hamza Mbareche was a postdoctoral fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he contributed to the development of a research project aimed at understanding the gut microbiome in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He also led a collaboration with engineers and researchers from the National Research Council Canada to develop a project aimed at understanding the transmission of respiratory viruses in indoor air.

He has conducted the bioinformatics analysis, data visualization, critical interpretation, and synthesized and communicated research results to physicians and other health care professionals in countless meetings and scientific symposia.

Hamza Mbareche holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Bioinformatics from Université Laval, Québec, Canada, an MS in Microbiology and Bioinformatics from Université Laval, Québec, Canada, and a BSc in Microbiology from Université Laval, Québec,

Canada.

He has also worked as a teaching assistant at Université Laval, where he assisted in the delivery of lectures and laboratory classes for undergraduate and graduate students, conducted literature reviews and analyzed data to support research projects in microbiology, immunology, and biochemistry, and provided one-on-one support and guidance to students to enhance their academic performance.

Department of Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship
Department of Medicine, Temetry Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

FRQNT Postdoctoral Fellowship

Lab Exchange Visitor Program Award Canadian Society for Virology

Exceptional Thesis Université Laval
PhD thesis listed on the Dean's honor list of the faculty of Science and Engineering of Université Laval

Roll of Honors of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Université Laval

Emerging Researcher Award ACFAS

2nd Prize for Best Presentation at the 28th Scientific Research Journeys Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec

IRSST PhD Fellowship Institut de recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et Sécurité du Travail

FRQNT PhD Fellowship Fond de Recherche Nature et Technologie

2nd Prize for Best Presentation at the 26th Scientific Research Journeys Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec

CFIA Internship Scholarship Réseau en Santé Respiratoire

Conference Travel Award Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie Porcine et Avicole