Investigates multidrug-resistant Achromobacter infections in cystic fibrosis in the Segall Lab. Combines therapeutic phage characterization, bacterial genetics, and whole-metagenome shotgun analysis of sputum and blood. Research contributions to approximately eight phage-therapy cases conducted under IND or emergency IND authorizations.
Curriculum vitae
Hamza Hajama
Doctoral researcher in Cell and Molecular Biology. Phage therapy, bacterial genetics, microbial genomics, metagenomics, and bioinformatics.
Research profile
Methods and expertise
Phage biology · phage therapy · microbiology · molecular biology · genetics and genomics · metagenomics · bioinformatics
Education
JDP in Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology
San Diego State University / University of California San Diego
Doctoral training in a joint program with a focus in cell and molecular biology.
B.S., Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology
San Diego State University
AA-T, Biology · AS-T, Chemistry
Santa Barbara City College
Publications
Host species background, defence systems, and phage tail gene architecture shape phage infectivity in cystic fibrosis-associated Achromobacter
bioRxiv preprint · 2026 · not peer reviewed
Tarasenko A, Papudeshi B, Nguyen V, et al., including Hajama H. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.06.29.735440
Sphae: an automated toolkit for predicting phage therapy candidates from sequencing data
Bioinformatics Advances · 2025
Papudeshi B, Roach MJ, Mallawaarachchi V, et al. 5(1):vbaf004. Supporting validation contribution. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioadv/vbaf004
Bacteriophage therapy of multidrug-resistant Achromobacter in an 11-year-old boy with cystic fibrosis assessed by metagenome analysis
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal · 2023 · equal contribution*
Bradley JS*, Hajama H*, Akong K, et al. 42(9):754–759. https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000004000
Compounding Achromobacter phages for therapeutic applications
Viruses · 2023
Cobián Güemes AG, Le T, Rojas MI, et al., including Hajama H. 15(8):1665. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15081665
Selected presentations
Tracking bacteria–phage dynamics in cystic-fibrosis phage therapy
SDSU Graduate Student Seminars · San Diego · 2025
Genetic response of Achromobacter xylosoxidans during phage therapy in a CF patient
University of California, Irvine · 2024
Mutational response of Achromobacter xylosoxidans to phage therapy in a CF patient
Viruses of Microbes · Cairns, Australia · 2024
Genetic response of Achromobacter xylosoxidans during phage therapy in a CF patient
Lake Arrowhead Microbial Genomics · California · 2024
Untangling bacterial data: gauging phage-therapy effectiveness in a pediatric CF infection
8th Biennial Workshop on Cystic Fibrosis: Ecology, Evolution, and Eradication · Telluride · 2023
Phage-host relationships relevant to therapy for pan-resistant Achromobacter infections
Viruses of Microbes · Guimarães, Portugal · 2022
Teaching & service
Teaching Assistant · SDSU Biology Department
August 2020–March 2025
- Taught advanced cell and molecular biology laboratory sections.
- Guided students through experimental troubleshooting and interpretation of experimental results.
- Held office hours and small-group tutoring sessions.
Graduate Assistant · SDSU Biology Department
August–December 2023
- Prepared weekly organismal and microbiological experiments across 27 sections serving approximately 700 students weekly.
- Prepared reagents and helped TAs troubleshoot the students assays and experiments.
Earlier teaching and public science
Teaching Assistant, SDSU Math Science Teaching Initiative (2019–2020); Gateway Tutor, SBCC School of Modern Languages (2017–2018); volunteer exhibit interpreter, Santa Barbara Sea Center (2016–2017).
Selected awards
- Prebys Biomedical Research Endowed Fellowship, 2024-2025
- Mabel Myers Memorial Scholarship, 2022–2023
- SDSU Master’s Research Fellowship, 2021–2022
- Harold and June Grant Memorial Scholarship, 2021
- Elliott Family Fund Scholarship, 2020
Static CV, last updated March 2025. Please reach out for the current/updated CV.