Researcher Abeer Abdulmahmoud Mohammed Nasher was awarded a PhD degree in Medical Microbiology ‎for her dissertation titled: Biofilm Production, Virulence Genes, and Antifungal Susceptibility among Women of Reproductive Age with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Sana’a City, Yemen,which was submitted to the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences –Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

·Prof. Anwar Qasem Al-Madhhaji – Internal Examiner and Chair.

·Prof. Ahmed Yahya Al-Jawfi – Main Supervisor and Committee Member.

·Assoc. Prof. Abdulrahman Yahya Al-Haifi – External Examiner and Committee Member.

The dissertation aimed to identify the Candida species responsible for infection, assess their biofilm-forming capacity, detect virulence genes, examine their susceptibility to antifungal agents, and identify factors associated with infection.

The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:

1.Candida albicans was the most prevalent species.

2.Biofilm-producing isolates exhibited greater resistance to the antifungal agents tested than non-biofilm-producing isolates.

3.The ALS1 gene was detected in all biofilm-producing isolates examined, while the detection of the HWP1gene was statistically associated with the level of biofilm formation.

Based on these findings, the researcher made several recommendations, including:

1.Promoting the rational use of antifungal agents and monitoring antifungal resistance patterns.

2.Strengthening laboratory diagnosis and raising health awareness.

3.Encouraging further research on biofilms and virulence genes.

The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, graduate students, researchers, as well as the researcher's colleagues and family members.