Al-Quds University graduate Anfal Abu Hilal has earned a PhD in Neuroscience from the City University of New York. Her research explores the brain mechanisms that regulate sleep and give rise to its complex neural states—a field to which she has devoted years of study. Her achievement marks a new milestone in a scientific journey that began at Al-Quds University and has since taken her to the forefront of advanced neuroscience research.
Dr. Anfal began her academic journey at Al-Quds Bard, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in Biology. This stage was far more than the beginning of her academic career; it played a pivotal role in shaping her identity as a researcher. It refined her approach to critical thinking, strengthened her ability to ask meaningful questions, and deepened her understanding of what it means to belong to a scientific community grounded in curiosity, rigor, and continuous inquiry.
“I continued my journey at Al-Quds University by enrolling in the master’s program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Medicine. During this time, I became involved in the Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative, which provided an important platform for deepening my interest in neuroscience and scientific research,” Dr. Abu Hilal says.
Dr. Anfal credits Al-Quds University with playing a central role in shaping her scientific foundation. “I am deeply grateful to the professors who recognized and believed in my potential, offered me their guidance and support, and provided a research and laboratory environment that turned curiosity into method—and method into research and discovery,” she adds.
Building on this foundation, Dr. Abu Hilal moved to the United States to further specialize in neuroscience. She earned her PhD from the City University of New York, where she conducted in-depth research on the brain, focusing on the mechanisms that regulate sleep and its associated neural states.
Her journey is a story of success that began at Al-Quds University but did not end there. The education she received laid the foundation for her continued pursuit of scientific research and enabled her to reach an advanced level of specialization in neuroscience.
Dr. Anfal sums up her experience in a message to Al-Quds University students: “Where you begin may shape you, but it never limits your horizons. Dare to dream beyond what seems possible, work quietly and persistently, and let your achievements—not your words—speak for you.”
For Dr. Anfal, Al-Quds University remains far more than a chapter in her academic journey; it is the foundation upon which everything that followed was built. As she puts it, “Thank you for being where it all began—and for making everything that followed possible.”
Al-Quds University played a pivotal role in shaping her scientific journey. She was guided by professors who recognized potential in her that she had yet to fully see in herself, while the university’s research and laboratory environment transformed curiosity into method—and method into research and discovery.
