Dr. Laabiah Wasim

001 — About

Where Biology Meets Innovation

I'm an immunologist and biotech entrepreneur passionate about translating fundamental scientific discoveries into therapies that change lives. My research at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL uncovered critical mechanisms in B-cell receptor signalling — work that has direct implications for understanding and treating B-cell lymphomas.

Beyond the bench, I've co-founded Ephla Bio, a company developing targeted B-cell therapeutics, and have been deeply involved in building the biotech entrepreneurship ecosystem through hackathons, innovation challenges, and founder programs. I believe the next generation of medicines will be designed at the intersection of immunology, AI, and entrepreneurial ambition.

Currently based in Canada, I'm working at the frontier of AI-accelerated drug discovery, with a particular interest in antibody engineering and computational immunology.

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Focus Area
B-Cell Immunology & Lymphoma

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Methodology
Super-Resolution Microscopy

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Intersection
AI × Drug Discovery

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Based In
Canada

002 — Experience

Career Timeline

From fundamental research to biotech entrepreneurship — a path driven by curiosity and the desire to translate science into real-world impact.

Present

Co-Founder

Ephla Bio

Building a biotech venture focused on targeted B-cell therapeutics, leveraging deep immunology expertise and computational approaches to develop next-generation treatments.

B-Cell Therapeutics Drug Discovery Antibody Design

Recent

Associate Director

Stealth Mode Biotech

Leading scientific strategy at a stealth biotech company, assessing biological significance of drug targets identified by AI-powered discovery engines and designing experimental validation studies.

AI Drug Discovery Target Validation Preclinical

2024

Scientist — Antibody Engineering

BigHat Biosciences

Contributed to AI-guided antibody design at a Series B biotech backed by a16z, Section 32, and 8VC. Developed PRAME pMHC T-cell engagers using machine learning-integrated wet lab workflows. Partners include AbbVie, J&J, and Lilly.

ML Antibody Design T-Cell Engagers Synthetic Biology

2018 — 2023

PhD Researcher

Francis Crick Institute & UCL

Investigated the role of B-cell receptor signalling in B-cell lymphomas under Dr. Pavel Tolar. Discovered that IgG class-switching disrupts lymphoma proliferation via PI3K signalling and MYC regulation. Published in eLife, mAbs, and bioRxiv.

BCR Signalling Lymphoma Immunology eLife

Earlier

Research Assistant

University of Toronto — Dept. of Immunology

Investigated TRPM7 ion channels in B-cell antigen gathering and CD22 glycosylation regulation of BCR signalling. Published in Science and Frontiers in Immunology.

Ion Channels Glycobiology Science

003 — Research

Selected Publications

Peer-reviewed research spanning B-cell receptor biology, lymphoma pathogenesis, and immune cell signalling.

Mutations in the IgG B Cell Receptor Associated with Class-Switched B Cell Lymphomas

Wasim L, Chu SWT, Sale B, Pickard L, Léonard S, Zhang L, et al. — bioRxiv / mAbs, 2024

bioRxiv

Endophilin A2 Regulates B-Cell Endocytosis and Is Required for Germinal Center and Humoral Responses

Malinova D, Wasim L, Newman R, Martínez-Riaño A, Engels N, Tolar P — EMBO J, 2021

EMBO J

B Cells Extract Antigens at Arp2/3-Generated Actin Foci Interspersed with Linear Filaments

Roper SI, Wasim L, Malinova D, Way M, Cox S, Tolar P — eLife, 2019

eLife

N-Linked Glycosylation Regulates CD22 Organization and Function

Wasim L, Buhari FHM, Yoganathan M, Sicard T, et al. — Frontiers in Immunology, 2019

Frontiers

The Channel-Kinase TRPM7 Regulates Antigen Gathering and Internalization in B Cells

Krishnamoorthy M, Wasim L, Zhao T, et al. — Science Signaling, 2018

Science

View all 17+ publications on Google Scholar →

004 — Ventures & Leadership

Building the Future of Biotech

Entrepreneurship, community building, and innovation at the intersection of science and business.

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Ephla Bio

Co-Founder

Developing targeted B-cell therapeutics grounded in deep immunological research and computational biology. Translating PhD discoveries into novel therapeutic approaches.

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Crick Science Entrepreneur Network

Co-Founder & Leader

Built a community connecting scientists with bio-entrepreneurship through networking events, talks, workshops, and activities. Encouraging translation of research into real-world solutions.

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Crick Innovation Challenge

Lead Organizer

Organized the first-ever UK-wide science hackathon at the Crick Institute, where early-career scientists developed solutions across Biotech, Healthy Ageing, Lab Innovation, and Data-Driven Health — culminating in investor demo days.

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RepMe

Co-Creator

Used generative AI to reduce algorithmic bias toward minority groups in facial and voice recognition systems. Addressing systemic inequity in AI training data.

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Crick Data Hackathon

Organizer

Organized the Crick's annual 3-day data hackathon, pairing experimental biologists with computational scientists to tackle challenging data science problems.

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Frequency Bio

Founder Fellow

Selected for this flexible program helping founders explore launching biotech startups, connecting with a community of biotech operators and emerging founders.

005 — Expertise

Technical Arsenal

A multidisciplinary toolkit spanning wet lab immunology, computational biology, and entrepreneurial strategy.

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B-Cell Receptor Signalling

Core Expertise

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Antibody Engineering

AI-Guided

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Super-Resolution Microscopy

Imaging

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Immunofluorescence

Wet Lab

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Signal Transduction

Cell Biology

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Cell Culture & Assays

In Vitro

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In Vivo Models

Preclinical

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AI / ML Drug Discovery

Computational

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Flow Cytometry

Analysis

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Target Validation

Discovery

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Scientific Writing

17+ Papers

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Biotech Entrepreneurship

Leadership

006 — Education

Academic Foundation

PhD in Immunology

University College London (UCL) & Francis Crick Institute

Investigated B-cell receptor signalling in B-cell lymphomas under Dr. Pavel Tolar in the Immune Receptor Activation Laboratory. Research published in eLife, mAbs, and bioRxiv.

2018 — 2023 · London, UK

MSc / Research Training

University of Toronto — Department of Immunology

Research in B-cell biology, ion channel regulation, and glycobiology. Published in Science Signaling and Frontiers in Immunology. Contributed to IMMPress Magazine as a science writer.

Toronto, Canada