Modana Shaker, Ph.D.

Bio

Madona Shaker, Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary educator and researcher with more than 20 years of teaching and research experience spanning Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition, Bioinformatics, and the life sciences. She teaches undergraduate courses in biology and related disciplines, including General Biology, Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Cell Biology, Nutrition, and laboratory sciences. Also, teaching graduate students scientific communication.

Her teaching and research experience bridges traditional biological and chemical sciences with computational, genomic, and interdisciplinary approaches. She has developed and taught courses integrating bioinformatics, biostatistics, molecular biology, nutrition, and the life sciences, while mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research-based projects. Her teaching emphasizes hands-on laboratory investigation, scientific communication, data analysis, and the application of modern computational tools to biological and health-related questions.

Prior to joining SJNY, She taught Biology and Chemistry at the secondary level, including Biology laboratory techniques, research methods, AP Chemistry, Biochemistry, and experimental methods in behavioral biology at CUNY. She also served as teaching faculty at Cairo University, where she taught and supervised students in life sciences, microbiology, neuroscience, neuroanatomy, and bioinformatics.

Her interdisciplinary background allows her to connect molecular and cellular biology with computational science, nutrition, neuroscience, and human health. She is particularly interested in creating research opportunities for students that integrate biological science, genomic data, nutrition, bioinformatics, and emerging computational technologies.

Scholarly & Professional Interests

Her scholarly interests are centered on computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, molecular evolution, microbial biology, nutrition, and neurogenomics. Her work explores the use of genomic and computational approaches to investigate biological mechanisms, molecular adaptation, microbial biomarkers, metabolism, nutrition-related biological processes, and the relationship between molecular pathways and human health.

Her research interests include:

• • Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
• • Genomics and Neurogenomics
• • Molecular Evolution and Molecular Adaptation
• • Microbial Biology and Microbial Biomarkers
• • Nutrition and Human Health
• • Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism
• • Probiotics and the Microbiome
• • AI Applications in Biology and Bioinformatics
• • Molecular Biology and Cell Biology
• • Epigenetics and Chromatin Regulation
• • Biostatistics and Biological Data Analysis
• • Cognitive Neuroscience and Molecular Mechanisms of Behavior
• • Genomic Approaches to Brain Function and Disease

Her current and developing research interests focus on integrating bioinformatics, genomic analysis, computational modeling, microbiology, and nutrition to investigate microbial metabolic pathways, biological biomarkers, and mechanisms underlying health and disease. She is particularly interested in interdisciplinary and student-centered research that brings together biology, chemistry, nutrition, computational science, and neuroscience.