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What if your immune system could be trained to detect and destroy cancer cells just as easily as it fights a common cold?

For Saba Ismail, a second-year PhD student in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences who was recently awarded the prestigious , that vision is not science fiction — it’s the future she’s working to build.

Ismail is at the forefront of a revolutionary shift in cancer treatment: personalized cancer vaccines. These aren’t vaccines in the traditional sense, but powerful therapeutic tools designed to mobilize a patient’s own immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells — guided by insights from artificial intelligence.

Through her doctoral research, Ismail is building a deep learning model capable of identifying neoantigens — the unique markers found only on cancer cells. These neoantigens act like red flags, signalling the immune system to attack the tumour without harming healthy tissue. Her AI-driven approach has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment by making it more targeted, less toxic and ultimately more effective.

​​Her mission is clear: to replace one-size-fits-all cancer care with something far more precise, personal and powerful.

Ismail’s academic journey began in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she earned a course-based master’s degree in biochemistry, followed by a research-based master’s in bioinformatics from Quaid-i-Azam University. During her graduate studies, she discovered the transformative potential of computational biology. While working on a vaccine design project for Enterobacter cloacae — a bacterium associated with respiratory and bloodstream infections — she realized algorithms could be used to accelerate medical innovation. 

After gaining hands-on experience as a research associate at the National University of Medical Sciences in Pakistan, Ismail sought a doctoral program that would allow her to integrate computation and immunology at a deeper level. She chose the ß÷ßäÉçÇø, drawn by the opportunity to join the lab of , whose research program leverages artificial intelligence and computational drug discovery tools to rationally design small-molecule and next-generation therapeutics. For Ismail, it was the ideal environment to expand her expertise and advance the integration of computational vaccine design with AI-driven research.

Ismail initially focused on infectious diseases — until cancer hit close to home.

“Losing my aunt to cancer changed everything,” she says. “It transformed my work from academic to personal. I knew I had to pivot toward something that could make a tangible impact in oncology.”

She turned her focus to melanoma, a highly aggressive form of skin cancer that claimed nearly 60,000 lives worldwide in 2022. These staggering statistics drive her urgency and deepen her commitment to finding new solutions.

She’s already made impressive progress, identifying several neoantigens to target and creating a theoretical vaccine that shows promise. It still needs to be validated through experiments, and the path to bring a vaccine to the public isn’t an easy one, but it’s one step closer to lowering melanoma numbers around the world. 

And she’s not afraid to think big. Ismail decided to go beyond developing singular tools and individual vaccines; instead, she is designing a comprehensive deep learning pipeline that integrates all the necessary tools to automate neoantigen prediction for any patient.

“The idea is to make a platform where you input a tumour genome or proteome and the model runs all the tools and filters needed to identify the ideal neoantigen,” she explains. “It’s like giving clinicians and researchers the best armour for the battle against cancer.”

Once refined, this platform could be adapted to design vaccines for other cancers, not just melanoma.

“It’s about pushing boundaries — not just making one tool, but creating a framework that can help many people.”

Though her research keeps her busy, Ismail still finds time to give back. She actively mentors young students, especially those from Pakistan, to equip them with the knowledge they need for success in academia. She offers guidance on everything from designing lab projects and publishing research to applying for funded PhD positions. 

“I didn’t have a roadmap when I started. Now, I want to give others the roadmap I wish I had.”

Ismail acknowledges she’s had her sights set on the Vanier award from the moment she began her doctoral studies. With more than 30 papers published under her name — an impressive feat for an early-career researcher, let alone a graduate student — she’s been working hard for years. Still, she recalls how stunned she was to learn she’d been one of this year’s recipients. 

The funding allows her to focus on her research, accelerating the development of her model, and in turn, helping speed her path to making a major impact on the health of cancer patients.

“This isn’t just about code or computation. It’s about saving lives, giving patients a second chance and building a future where cancer is no longer a death sentence — but a challenge we know how to beat.”