Saadet Andrews

Dr. Saadet Andrews is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. She has extensive training in pediatrics, metabolic genetics, and neurology, with medical education in Türkiye and specialized training at institutions including the University of Vienna, University of British Columbia, and Free University of Amsterdam.

Dr. Andrews completed her PhD in "Creatine deficiency syndrome: contributions to selective and newborn screening and treatment" at the Free University, Amsterdam. Her clinical experience includes positions as a metabolic staff physician at British Columbia Children's Hospital and neurometabolic staff physician at The Hospital for Sick Children, where she developed the first inherited neurotransmitter disease and epilepsy genetics clinics.

Dr. Andrews' research primarily focuses on genetic causes of neonatal encephalopathy and epilepsy. Her laboratory studies gene discovery for neonatal encephalopathy using whole genome sequencing to identify underlying genetic defects in essential energy metabolism and neurotransmitter pathways. Her team also investigates refractory epilepsy responsive to the ketogenic diet and has developed the first knock-out zebrafish model to study ALDH7A1 deficiency neuropathogenesis.

Her research spans multiple disciplines including genetics, neurology, pediatrics, and metabolic disorders, with particular emphasis on neonatal brain injury, neurotransmitter disorders, and the genetic basis of epileptic conditions. Dr. Andrews has contributed significantly to understanding the genetic architecture of neurodevelopmental disorders and metabolic conditions affecting children.

Dr. Andrews has published extensively on gene discovery in neurodevelopmental disorders, metabolic conditions, and epilepsy. Her work demonstrates a focus on translational research that bridges basic science discoveries with clinical applications for improved diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions in children.

Her laboratory employs cutting-edge genomic technologies including whole genome sequencing to identify novel disease genes, and utilizes model organisms such as zebrafish for functional studies and drug screening. This multidisciplinary approach bridges clinical medicine, genetics, and basic science to advance understanding and treatment of complex neurological conditions in children.