Dr Aref Kyyaly
PhD

Aref has worked in different industries. He worked as a geneticist in clinical labs for two years between 2009 and 2011. He was also head of R&D at Aleppo Baker’s yeast factory (one of the biggest in the Middle East) from 2010 to 2014.

Aref is interested in studying miRNAs changes in different diseases. My current focus is on asthma and he aims to utilise these molecules as a diagnostic marker for diagnosis and severity assessment of asthma.

Previously, Aref worked on gene cloning and protein expression in a study to clone three enzymes known to be expressed in anaphylaxis in microbial expression systems to establish a clinical diagnostic test for anaphylaxis.

He has also worked on enrichment of yeast with bio-iron to cure and prevent iron deficiency anaemia.

• Circulating miRNAs – a potential tool to identify severe asthma risk? M Aref Kyyaly, Tilman Sanchez-Elsner, Peijun He, Collin L Sones, S Hasan Arshad, and Ramesh J Kurukulaaratchy. (2021) Clinical and Translational Allergy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/clt2.12040
• Real-world Omalizumab and Mepolizumab treated Difficult Asthma Phenotypes and their Clinical Outcomes. Fong, W.C.G., Azim, A., Knight, D., Mistry, H., Freeman, A., Felongco, M., Kyyaly, A., Harvey, M., Dennison, P., Zhang, H., Howarth, P., Arshad, S.H. and Kurukulaaratchy, R.J. (2021). Clinical & Experimental Allergy. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.13882
• Prediction Models for Childhood Asthma: A Systematic Review. Kothalawala, D. M., Perunthadambil Kadalayil, L., Weiss, V. B. N., Kyyaly, M. A., Arshad, S., Holloway, J. & Rezwan, F. I. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2020; 31:616–627.
• Reply to Dr Owora (letter to the Editor). Kothalawala, D. M., Perunthadambil Kadalayil, L., Weiss, V. B. N., Kyyaly, M. A., Arshad, S., Holloway, J. & Rezwan, F. I. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2020. DOI: 10.1111/pai.13396
• Alzahrani, M. O. J., Walls, A., Kyyaly, M. A., & Arshad, S. (2020). Novel method for assessing basophil activation by measuring altered expression of membrane-bound and intracellular basogranulin stores. World Allergy Organization Journal, 13(8), [100351]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100351
• Variability in Blood Eosinophils: Findings from the WATCH Cohort of Difficult Asthma. Adnan Azim, Newell Colin, Clair Barber, Anna Freeman, Heena Mistry, Aref Kyyaly, Hans Michael Haitchi, Paddy Dennison, Peter Howarth, Ramesh Kurukulaaratchy. European Respiratory Journal 2019 54: PA2543; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2019.PA2543
• THE IMPACT OF MORPHINE TREATMENT ON BLADDER CANCER CELL PROLIFERATION AND APOPTOSIS: IN VITRO STUDIES. Harper P. Hald O. Lwaleed B.A. Kyyaly A. Johnston D. Cooper A.J. Birch B. Exp Oncol 2018 40, 3, 190–193
• Mineral Enriched Yeast a Promising Dietary Resolution for Minerals Deficiencies. Mohammed Aref Kyyaly. Nutri Food Sci Int J. 2017; 2(3): 555608
• Real-time measurement of the intracellular pH of yeast cells during glucose metabolism using ratiometric fluorescent nanosensors. Mohamed M M Elsutohy, Veeren M Chauhan, Robert Markus, Mohammed Aref Kyyaly, Saul J. B. Tendler and Jonathan W Aylott. Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 5904-5911. DOI: 10.1039/C7NR00906B
• BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY “GOOD OR BAD”? KYYALY M. A., Rom.-Syr. J. Geo-Bio-div. 2016 V (1): 31-35.
• Mast Cell Proteases as Key Clinical Markers and New Targets for Drug Development in Allergic Disease: Implications for Anti-Doping Policy. Sayed K Goda, Afrah Al-Yafei, Haya Al Sulaiti, Aref Kyyaly, Mohammed Alsayrafi, Andrew Walls. Conference: Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings. 2016. DOI: 10.5339/qfarc.2016.HBPP3321
• Production of Baker's yeast using seawater-based media. Mohammed Aref Kyyaly, Abdelrahman Saleh Zaky, Chris D Powell. New Biotechnology 33:S71 July 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2016.06.963
• Preparation of iron-enriched baker's yeast and its efficiency in recovery of rats from dietary iron deficiency. Mohammed Aref Kyyaly, Chris Powell and Elshahat Ramadan. Nutrition 31 (2015) 1155–1164. DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2015.04.017
• Molecular Studies on Human Lung Mast Cell Recombinant Carboxypeptidase A: Screening for new enzyme inhibitors for possible hypertension control. Sayed Goda, Mohammed Aref Marwan Kyyaly, Adel Makkiya, Noor Al-Tamimi, Asia Al-Jabry, Amal Abdulla. QRS Repository, 3784
• Cloning, over expression and molecular characterization of human mast cell carboxypeptidase. Sayed Kamel Goda, Aref Kyyaly, Asia Al-Jabiry, Andrew Walls, and Muhammad Al Sayrafi Sayed Goda, Mohammed Aref Marwan Kyyaly, Adel Makkiya, Noor Al-Tamimi, Asia Al-Jabry, Amal Abdulla. Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum Proceedings. 2012. Vol.2012.BMP70. DOI: 10.5339/qfarf.2012.BMP70
• Baker's yeast: Quantity and quality improvement, iron enrichment and its uses for nutritional anaemia treatment (Book). Mohammad Aref Kyyaly. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. 2012. ISBN: 978-3-659-25242-6.
• The Effect of Corn Steep Liquor on the biomass of baker's Yeast as single cell Protein. Adib Faleh, Mohammad Aref Kyyaly, Bassel Damlakhi. Research Journal of Aleppo University. 2013. No.105/2013
• The Effect of Using Cheese Whey Liquor as a Technological Additive on the Quality of Producing Bakery Yeast as Protein Source. Adib Faleh, Mohammad Aref Kyyaly, Bassel Damlakhi. Research Journal of Aleppo University. 2014. No.109/2014

• Asthma UK research grant, 2020. Project title: “Circulating miRNAs as a diagnostic test for asthma and to identify asthma severity risk” £245,000 covering three year salary and research costs (Consumables, kits, chemicals…).
• Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) award, 2018. Covering one-year salary for placement at University of Southampton.
• A grant of £8600 from AAIR charity, 2017. To assess the correlation between immune statues and asthma: from birth to early childhood.
• Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) award, 2017. Covering one-year salary for placement at University of Southampton.
• Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) award, 2014. Covering one-year salary for placement at University of Nottingham.
• Obtained a grant equals to 20,000 USD from the Higher Commission for Scientific Research in Syria, 2011. Titled: Isolation of local baker's yeast strains with and study of their productivity performance to use them in baker's yeast production and improvement of the quality of produced baker's yeast. Contract no. 8 for the year 2011.

Circulating miRNAs as a diagnostic test for asthma and to identify asthma severity risk.

This project is funded by Asthma UK/Innovate UK.