Omar M. H. El Atal

Hey there! I’m Omar, an undergraduate biology and biotechnology student with a deep passion for genetics, cancer biology, and bioinformatics. Beyond the lab, I enjoy reading, composing music, volunteering, and playing chess. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat about research, potential opportunities, or even just to swap book recommendations!

General Information

Full Name: Omar Moustafa Hassan El Atal
Languages: Arabic (native), English (C2), French (B2)
Location: Casablanca, Morocco

Education

B.Sc. in Biology & Biotechnology - Faculté des Sciences Aïn Chock, Université Hassan II (2023 - 2026 expected)
- Ranked 1st in Cell Biology out of 1500+ students
- cGPA: 14.42 (High honors, ~3.7 GPA equivalent per Scholaro)
Baccalauréat (Earth & Life Sciences, French Option) - Bir Anzarane High School, Casablanca (2020 - 2023)
- Excellence Award; student council representative

Research Experience

First Author - Meta-analysis on Molecular Markers in Colorectal Cancer - Université Hassan II (September 2025 - Present)

Internships

Intern - Integrative Biology Laboratory (Molecular Genetics and Bioinformatics Group), Faculté des Sciences Aïn Chock (October 2025 - Present)
Intern - Oncology & Cell Therapy Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Maroc (July 2025 - August 2025)
Intern - Pathophysiology, Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculté des Sciences Aïn Chock (March 2025 - July 2025)

Honors & Awards

2025: University Medal for Excellence in Extracurricular Activities (Top 0.2% of students)

Projects

Breast Cancer Classification Using Deep Learning (October 2025)
Built and evaluated deep learning models in PyTorch to classify breast cancer tumors as benign or malignant.
Implemented a Feedforward Neural Network (FNN) and optimized hyperparameters (learning rate, optimizer, batch size, and regularization).
The final model trained with SGD (learning rate = 0.04, batch size = 16, L2 + BatchNorm + Dropout regularization, 3-layer architecture) achieved 0.9651 test accuracy.
Transcriptomic signature project (details withheld) - September 2025 - Present
Molecular Dynamics project (details withheld) - July 2025 - Present

Courses & Workshops

Hands-on Training on Illumina Workflows: Illumina DNA PCR-Free Library Prep for WGS on NovaSeq X Plus - AfricaBP Open Institute for Genomics & Bioinformatics, UM6P Biosciences CoreLab (October 2025, Ben Guerir, Morocco)
Foundations of Deep Learning for Biomedical Applications - School of Biotechnology, Nile University (online) (Aug 2025 - Oct 2025)
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) - RNA-Seq Data Analysis Workshop - Biocompiler (online) (Jan 2025 - Apr 2025)
Practical Molecular Dynamics Workshop - Laboratoire d’Immunologie et Biodiversité, GMB team (Casablanca, Morocco) (Jun 2025)
Introduction to Reproducibility in Cancer Informatics - Johns Hopkins University (online) (Aug 2025)
Computing for Cancer Informatics - Johns Hopkins University (online) (Aug 2025)
Introduction à la Statistique avec R - Université Paris-Saclay (online) (Feb 2025 - Apr 2025)

Leadership

Undergraduate Representative - Institutional Self-Evaluation Committee, Faculté des Sciences Aïn Chock (May 2025 - Aug 2025)
Environmental Cell Lead & Vice-Event Coordinator - FSAC Health Club (Sep 2024 - Present)

Volunteering & Outreach

Volunteer - Lalla Salma Foundation, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Service (Hôpital 20 Août 1953, CHU Ibn Rochd) (Sep 2025 - Present)
Volunteer - JOOD (Sep 2024 - Present)
Citizen Science Volunteer - Zooniverse (Jan 2025 - Present)
Grant Writing Intern - Save Ancient Studies Association (SASA) (Sep 2025 - Present)
Content Writing Intern - ForgetMeNot International (Aug 2025 - Present)

Professional Memberships

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP)

Skills

Bioinformatics: Deep Learning (PyTorch), RNA-Seq, Linux, Bash, Cytoscape, Programming (R, Python), Statistics (Regression, ANOVA, Survival Analysis), Jupyter, Git/GitHub, Conda, HPC/cloud computing
Structural Biology: Docking (AutoDock Vina), Molecular Dynamics (GROMACS), PyMOL
Lab Techniques: Sequencing, PCR-free WGS Library Prep, DNA quantification and quality control (Qubit, NanoDrop), PCR, Electrophoresis, DNA Extraction, Microbiology
Research & Communication: Meta-analysis, Systematic Review (Rayyan, PRISMA), Scientific Writing, Presentations, Grant Writing