Biography

Prof. Ashraf Khalil joined Dubai Pharmacy College for Girls as a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences on August 13th, 2024. He received his PhD in Organic/Medicinal Chemistry from the School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi (USA) in 1997. He has held prestigious academic positions worldwide, including roles at King Saud University, King Faisal University as one of the main founders of the College of Clinical Pharmacy, and most recently, Qatar University, where he served as Head of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department. In addition, he worked as a Senior Scientist at Virginia State University and Polytechnic Institute (Blacksburg, VA) and Analytical Biochemistry Laboratories (Columbia, Missouri) in the USA. Throughout his career, Prof. Khalil has published numerous international peer-reviewed papers, secured three US patents, and delivered over 90 research presentations.

Education

• PhD in Organic/Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi (USA), 1997.

Research Interests

• Design and synthesis of novel anticancer agents.
• Characterization of monoamine oxidase inhibitors from synthetic and natural sources, with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases.

Research Publications

• Hussein, O. J., Kheraldine, H. S., ElKhalifa, D. H., Moustafa, A. E. A., & Khalil, A. A. (2026). Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel chalcone analogs against castration-resistant prostate cancer. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 199, 119447.
• Hassan, A. F., Kheraldine, H. S., Idoudi, S., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Elhissi, A. M. A. (2026). Developmental and angiogenic safety profiles of novel pyridine-based chalcone. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 17, 1780086.
• Suliman, A., Hassan, A. F., Saeed, S., Khalil, A. A., & Elhissi, A. M. A. (2026). Liposomal delivery of DK14 chalcone analogue: A promising therapeutic strategy against triple-negative breast cancer. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 115, 107601.
• Hassan, A. F., Hussein, O. J., Al-Barazenji, T., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Khalil, A. A. (2024). The effect of novel nitrogen-based chalcone analogs on colorectal cancer cells: Insight into the molecular pathways. Heliyon, 10(5), e27002.
• Fouzat, A., Hussein, O. J., Gupta, I., Khalil, A. A., & Al Moustafa, A. E. (2022). Elaeagnus angustifolia plant extract induces apoptosis via P53 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathways in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 871667.
• Zakaria, Z. Z., Aladwi, S. A., Benslimane, F. M., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Al-Asmakh, M. A. (2021). Effect of water-pipe smoking on the normal development of zebrafish. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11659.
• Rizeq, B. R., Gupta, I., Kheraldine, H. S., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Khalil, A. A. (2021). Novel nitrogen-based chalcone analogs provoke substantial apoptosis in HER2-positive human breast cancer cells via JNK and ERK1/ERK2 signaling pathways. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(17), 9621.
• Abdo, G. G., Gupta, I., Kheraldine, H. S., Elzatahry, A. A. F., & Al Moustafa, A. E. (2021). Mesoporous silica coated carbon nanofibers reduce embryotoxicity via ERK and JNK pathways. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 122, 111910.
• Lopez-Ozuna, V. M., Gupta, I., Kiow, R. L. C., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Al-Farsi, H. F. (2020). Water-pipe smoking exposure deregulates a set of genes associated with human head and neck cancer development and prognosis. Toxics, 8(3), 73.
• Abdo, G. G., Kheraldine, H. S., Gupta, I., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Khalil, A. A. (2020). Significant toxic effect of carbon nanofibers at the early stage of embryogenesis. Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, 16(6), 975–984.
• ElKhalifa, D. H., Siddique, A. B., Qusa, M. H., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Khalil, A. A. (2020). Design, synthesis, and validation of novel nitrogen-based chalcone analogs against triple negative breast cancer. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 187, 111954.
• Mahmoud, A., ElKhalifa, D. H., Alali, F. Q., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Khalil, A. A. (2020). Novel polymethoxylated chalcones as potential compounds against kras-mutant colorectal cancers. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 26(14), 1622–1633.
• Hussein, O. J., ElKhalifa, D. H., Hassan, A. F., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Khalil, A. A. (2025). The role of natural chalcones and their derivatives in targeting prostate cancer: Recent updates. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(24), 12082.
• Hussein, O. J., Rayan, M., Matarid, T. R., Maccalli, C., & Korashy, H. M. (2025). The role of immune checkpoints in modulating cancer stem cells anti-tumor immune responses: Implications and perspectives in cancer therapy. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research, 44(1), 305.
• ElKhalifa, D. H., Al-Ziftawi, N. H., Awaisu, A., Alali, F. Q., & Khalil, A. A. (2023). Efficacy and tolerability of sulforaphane in the therapeutic management of cancers: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Oncology, 13, 1251895.
• ElKhalifa, D. H., Rayan, M., Negmeldin, A. T., Elhissi, A. M. A., & Khalil, A. A. (2022). Chemically modified mRNA beyond COVID-19: Potential preventive and therapeutic applications for targeting chronic diseases. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 145, 112385.
• Abdo, G. G., Zagho, M. M., Al Moustafa, A. E., Khalil, A. A., & Elzatahry, A. A. F. (2021). A comprehensive review summarizing the recent biomedical applications of functionalized carbon nanofibers. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials, 109(11), 1893–1908.
• ElKhalifa, D. H., Al-Hashimi, I., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Khalil, A. A. (2021). A comprehensive review on the antiviral activities of chalcones. Journal of Drug Targeting, 29(4), 403–419.
• Abdo, G. G., Zagho, M. M., & Khalil, A. A. (2020). Recent advances in stimuli-responsive drug release and targeting concepts using mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Emergent Materials, 3(3), 407–425.
• Hassan, A. F., Kheraldine, H. S., Idoudi, S., Al Moustafa, A. E., & Elhissi, A. M. A. (2026). Erratum: Correction: Developmental and angiogenic safety profiles of novel pyridine-based chalcone. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 17, 1862423.