Faculty

Dr. Abiola Senok Dr. Abiola Catherine Senok
Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
College of Medicine
Alfaisal University
Riyadh, KSA

Email: asenok@alfaisal.edu
Tel : +(966-1) 215-7661 office

Education:
PhD	1996	The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
MBBS	1987	University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Research Interests:

Antibiotic resistance: Understanding the molecular epidemiology, trends and trafficking of Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing pathogens and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in nosocomial and community-acquired infections
Probiotics: Investigating the use of probiotics in urogenital and gastrointestinal infections with particular interest in probiotics as new treatment paradigm for bacterial vaginosis
Gastrointestinal infections: Investigating the mechanisms of pathogenesis, epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance Campylobacter spp with particular interest in understanding trafficking of Campylobacter from animals to humans.

Awards and Honors:

1996:Young Scientist Award, XIVth International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria, Nagasaki, Japan
1999: World Health Organization / University of Camerino, Italy, Award for International Workshop

Professional Experience:

Assistant Professor Alfaisal University 2010-present
Assistant Professor, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 2006-2010
Assistant Professor, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain 2004-2006
Research Fellow, Department of General Practice, Division of Community Based Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom 2001-2003
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Georgetown University, Washington DC. USA, 2000
Medical officer, Central Regional Health Authority, Trinidad and Tobago 1997-2000
Postdoctoral Research fellow, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996-1997

Publications: (Last five years )
Refereed journal papers:

Bindayna K, Khanfar HS, Senok AC, Botta GA. Predominance of CTX-M genotype among extended spectrum beta lactamase isolates in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2010; 30: 859-863.
Senok AC, Verstraelen H, Temmerman M, Botta GA. Probiotics for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2009, Issue 4. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD006289.pub2
Bindayna K, Senok AC, Jamsheer A. Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Bahrain: Prevalence and antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 2009; 2:129-135
Khanfar HS, Bindayna KM, Senok AC, Botta GA. Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae: trends in the hospital and community settings. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2009: 3: 295-299
Banwan K, Senok AC, Rotimi VO. Antibiotic Therapeutic Options for Infections Caused by Drug-resistant Gram-positive cocci. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 2009; 2: 62-73
Senok AC, Botta GA. Campylobacter enteritis in the Arabian Gulf. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2009; 3: 74-82
Senok AC. Probiotics in the Arabian Gulf Region. Food Nutrition and Research, 2009, 53. DOI:10.3402/fnr.v53i0.1842
Senok AC, Ismaeel AY, Al-Qashar FA, Agab WA. Pattern of upper respiratory tract infections and physicians antibiotics prescribing practices in Bahrain. Medical Principles and Practice, 2009; 18: 170-174
Dash N, Mansour Al-Zarouni M, Al-Kous N, Al- Shehhi F, Al-Najjar J, Senok AC, Panigrahi D. Distribution and resistance trends of community associated urinary tract pathogens in Sharjah, UAE. Microbiology Insights, 2008; 1: 41-45
Senok AC, Pipan C, Edan Y, Botta GA. Internet and computer use by medical students in traditional and problem based learning systems. Kuwait Medical Journal, 2008; 40: 196-201
Senok AC, Rotimi VO. The management of Clostridium difficile infection: Antibiotics, Probiotics and other strategies. Journal of Chemotherapy, 2008; 20: 5-13
Mazi W, Senok A, Al-Mahmeed A, Arzese A, Bindayna K, Botta G. Trends in antibiotic sensitivity pattern and molecular detection of tet(O)-mediated tetracycline resistance in campylobacter jejuni isolates from human and poultry sources. Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2008; 61: 82-84
Al-Zarouni M, Senok A, Rashid F, Al-Jesmi SM, Panigrahi D. Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase- producing Enterobacteriaceae in the United Arab Emirates. Medical Principles and Practice, 2008; 17: 32-36
Senok A, Al-Zarouni M, Al-Najjar J, Nublusi A, Panigrahi D. Antimicrobial resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae isolates in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2007; 1: 296-302
Al Amri A, Senok AC, Ismaeel AY, Al-Mahmeed AE, Botta GA. Multiplex PCR for direct identification of Campylobacter spp in human and chicken stool. Journal of Medical Microbiology 2007; 56: 1350-1355
Al-Shaikh SA, Senok AC, Ismaeel AY, Botta GA. Invasive capabilities of Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated in Bahrain: Molecular and phenotypic characterization. Acta Microbiological et Immunologica Hungarica, 2007; 54: 139-150
Senok A, Yousif A, Mazi W, Sharaf E, Bindayna K, Elnima el-A, Botta G. Pattern of antibiotic susceptibility in Campylobacter jejuni isolates of human and poultry origin. Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2007; 60: 1-4
Furrie E, Senok AC, Frank DN, Sullivan KE. Pondering probiotics. Clin Immunology, 2006; 121: 19-22
Senok AC, Jamsheer A, Sharaf EJ, Botta GA. Impact of educational interventions on the quality of blood culture specimen. Journal of Bahrain Medical Society, 2006; 18: 133-138
Jamsheer A, Senok AC, Botta GA. Suggestions for improving efficiency of urinary tract infections screening programs in pregnancy. Journal of Bahrain Medical Society, 2006; 18: 101-103
Senok AC, Giacometti L, Botta GA. Human Cytomegalovirus infections in pregnancy and the newborn: Epidemiology, Laboratory Diagnosis and Medico-legal aspects. Kuwait Medical Journal, 2006; 18: 85-93
Al-Mahmeed A, Senok AC, Ismaeel AY, Bindayna KM, Tabbara KS, Botta GA. Clinical relevance of virulence genes in Campylobacter jejuni isolates in Bahrain. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2006; 55: 839-843
Senok AC, Botta GA. HIV and Hepatitis infection in correctional institutions in Africa: Is this the neglected source of an epidemic? Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2006; 55, 481-2
Hajjaj AA, Senok AC, Al-Mahmeed AE, Issa AA, Arzese AR, Botta GA. Human papillomavirus infection among women attending health facilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Saudi Medical Journal, 2006; 27: 487-91
Senok AC, Nelson EA, Li K, Ismaeel AR, Olliaro P, Oppenheimer SJ. Ultrastructural assessment of Plasmodium falciparum in age fractionated thalassaemic erythrocytes. Parasitology Research, 2006; 98, 381-384
Senok AC, Ismaeel AY, Botta GA. Probiotics: Facts and Myths. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 2005; 11: 958-966
Senok AC, Botta GA. Acute versus chronic diseases. Science, 2005; 30, 380-381
Ismaeel AY, Senok AC, Bindayna KM, Bakhiet M, Al Mahmeed A, Yousif AQ, Botta GA. Effect of antibiotic sub-inhibitory concentration on cytolethal distending toxin production by Campylobacter jejuni. Journal of Infection, 2005; 51: 144-149
Senok A, Wilson P, Reid M, Scoular A, Craig N, McConnachie A, Fitzpatrick B, MacDonald A. Can we evaluate population screening strategies in UK general practice? A pilot randomised controlled trial comparing postal and opportunistic screening for genital chlamydial infection. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2005; 59: 198-204

Conference Abstracts:

Senok, M. Al-Zarouni, N. Al-Zarooni, D. Panigrahi Identification of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae using the Hyplex® ESBL-ID multiplex PCR-ELISA system. Presented at the 20th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases; April 2010.
Senok, S. Al-Khawaja, A. Ismaeel, G. Botta Cytomegalovirus infection in neonatal intensive care units. Presented at the 20th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases; April 2010.
Senok A, Mazi W, Al-Mahmeed A, Arzese A, Bindayna K, Botta G. Trends in antibiotic susceptibility profile and assessment of tet(O)-mediated tetracycline resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human and poultry sources. Presented at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases; April 2008
Senok A, Sharaf E, Al-Mahmeed A, Udo E, Botta G. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) in Bahrain: Evidence of MRS transmission and co-carriage of vancomycin resistant enterococci.Presented at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases; April 2008
Senok AC, Chung K, Li K, Nelson EAS.Oxidant modulating agents modify sensitivity to artemether 11th International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA XI), Glasgow, Scotland, August 2006
Senok AC, Ismaeel AY, Nelson EAS, Li K, Oppenheimer SJ. Ultrastructural assessment of Plasmodium Falciparum in age fractionated thalassaemic erythrocytes. Presented at The 16th International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria (IFTM), Marseille, France, September 2005
Al-Shaikh S, Senok AC, Ismaeel AY, Al-Mahmeed A, Botta GA. Virulence genes and invasiveness of C. jejuni strains in Bahrain: Is there any correlation with clinical disease spectrum. Presented at the 6th International Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology (Meeting of the International Union of Microbiological Societies), San Francisco, California, USA (July 23-28, 2005)
Hajjaj AA, Senok AC, Al-Mahmeed A, Issa AA, Botta GA. The occurrence of Human Papilloma virus infection among women in Bahrain. Presented at The 22nd International Papillomavirus Conference and Clinical Workshop, Vancouver British Colombia, Canada, April 30-May 6, 2005

Teaching:

Arabian Gulf University: Problem-based learning ; General microbiology and parasitology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Supervised Masters students
University of Sharjah: Problem-based learning; General microbiology and immunology to undergraduate medical, dental and pharmacy students
Alfaisal University: Problem based learning; Microbiology and Immunology. Course director IMU 236 (Principles of Immunology) and MIC 124 (Principles of Microbiology)

Alfaisal University
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