Intelligence, Beauty, and Grace - An Interview with Aida Cremesti

Intelligence, Beauty, and Grace

An Interview with Aida Cremesti

Our Cover Model

Excerpt from original article

By: Susan Baker

The people of Lebanon are known for their generosity, warm and welcoming nature, and their kind and loving characters. Preparing for this issue was a delight because the Lebanese community welcomed our inquiries and curiosities with grace, and embraced us as being part of a large loving family. Meeting Aida Cremesti was one of the highlights of preparing for this issue. Aida is proof that one can work hard and realize one’s dreams and aspirations. As a child she dreamed of conducting research, and she attributes her love for science to her father, who is a pharmacist.

Aida has four years of postdoctoral experience in cancer biology, molecular and cellular biology, signal transduction, apoptosis, cytokine biology, and membrane and receptor signaling. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, performing research on GTP signaling proteins and their roles in controlling cytoskeletal movements, cellular trafficking, and invasion and transformation. Aida has co-authored various medical research articles covering important topics such as “The Role of Ceramide and Sphingomyelinase in Modulating Properties of Lipid Rafts” published in FEBS Letters, one of the world's leading journals in biochemistry, “Involvement of Membrane Signaling in the Bystander Effect in Irradiated Cells” published in Cancer Research, a journal published by The American Association for Cancer Research, “Niemann-Pick Disease Versus Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency” published in Cell Death and Differentiation, a journal devoted to the cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry of cell death and differentiation, both in normal tissue regulation and in disease; and the list goes on.

As any educated, successful woman, Aida’s list of accomplishments is immense and continuously growing. Her dedication, hard work, and endless efforts in medical research will pave the way for many other scientists and doctors to find cures for many of our human ailments. I invite you to join me on a remarkable journey with this issue’s cover model.

Spirit: As a Lebanese American, can you share with our readers the unique elements that create Lebanon’s rich culture?

Aida: Lebanon is a country with a unique, over 5000-year-old, history. Due to its geographic location, it is a bridge between the East and the West, and a very rich cultural mosaic. Our ancestors were the Phoenicians, who are best remembered for their contributions in the establishment of trade with the many peoples living along the Mediterranean, as well as the creation of what is believed to be the first alphabet. A big part of Lebanon's allure is its rich history. Many civilizations—Phoenician, Amorite, Crusader, Mameluke, Hittite, Greek, Roman and Ottoman, to name a few—ruled over the land. The mountainous terrain also provided refuge for various religious groups that played significant roles in the development of the country. The resulting culture is distinctively Lebanese, a combination of East and West.