Born a few years apart in different parts of the world, Mamoun and Shuchi truly believe the saying “matches are made in heaven.” Shuchi grew up in a small town in the Northern part of India, while Mamoun was raised in Jordan. After finishing their undergraduate degrees in Pharmacy, they both decided to pursue graduate studies in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the USA and, somehow, ended up at the same school, in the same lab at the same time. “We both ended up at University of Toledo in Ohio, What are the odds! Mamoun was a very hardworking, kind and humble student. He moved the electrons on those carbons on the whiteboard in such an amazing way that all the professors were amazed by him. He had this amazing charisma and great sense of humor, which made me fall in love with him instantly, and I knew he was the one. The first time we had a get-together for our lab, I made some cucumber salad. During the party, Mamoun mentioned that the cucumber salad was one of the best snacks there. And that was it, he stole my heart,” says Shuchi.
The couple were married in a small marriage ceremony in Toledo, OH in 2005. After finishing their PhD degrees, they moved to Portland, OR for Postdoctoral Fellowships. After three years in Portland, they made the move to the Bay Area. Having lived in Menlo Park and Stockton, they decided to settle down in Blackhawk in 2021. “It was during Covid times, and Blackhawk seemed like the perfect place because of its wide variety of activities for everyone. We are all so glad that we did the move,” says Mamoun.
Mamoun finished his undergrad in Pharmacy in Jordan, and then PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from University of Toledo, Ohio. He then finished his Postdoctoral fellowships from Portland State University and his research fellowship from Stanford University. During his research at Stanford, he discovered a drug for Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy, a fatal disease that affects the heart. Stanford University patented Mamoun’s discovery. In 2016, Mamoun and his colleagues at Stanford started a company called Eidos Therapeutics that went public in 2018 and moved the drug discovered by Mamoun through the different phases of clinical trials. Mamoun is also a Professor at Thomas J. Long College of Pharmacy and runs a research lab with a number of graduate students.
Shuchi completed her undergrad in Pharmacy in India and PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from University of Toledo, OH. She did her Postdoctoral fellowship at Portland State University in Molecular Biology, where her research was studying microorganisms that produce natural products, which are used as medicines against different diseases. After finishing her Postdoc, she practiced Pharmacy. “Being a Pharmacist gave me a chance to be in direct contact with patients on a regular basis, something I always wanted. It gave me a chance to give back to the community. My previous experience of designing my own experiments during my PhD, helped me manage one of the busiest CVS Pharmacies. After working for 10 years as a Pharmacy Manager, I decided to take a break from work, to spend more time with my daughters. Currently, I am an Adjunct Professor at Thomas J. Long College of Pharmacy and involved with research in my husband’s lab,” says Shuchi.
Two daughters complete the family. Maya is 12 years old and currently attends The Dorris-Eaton School. Her favorite subjects include writing, math, and art. Her hobbies are baking, arts and crafts, playing the violin, and riding horses. Maya also participates on the Blackhawk Swim Team, The Hox. She enjoys trying new cuisines and is always willing to have an adventure.
Hana is 15 years old and attends The College Preparatory School. She is also on the debate team and the varsity tennis team at her school. Her hobbies include tennis, baking, playing the violin, reading and traveling. Hana has played violin in many different youth orchestras and symphonies. Hana also enjoys horseback riding and is currently taking lessons.
“We are a close-knit family with my parents living with us also. Hana and Maya love to spend time with their grandparents and enjoy learning Indian cooking from my mom. We love to travel, bake, cook, hike, read, craft and socialize,” says Shuchi. Recently, their travels have included Qatar to attend the World Cup final, France, Italy, China, Austria, Indonesia, Barcelona, Mexico, India and Jordan.
“Baking is another thing that me and my daughters enjoy. Being a chemist, the science behind the fermentation of sourdough always fascinated me. After months of scientific experiments in my kitchen, I can proudly say that in the Alhamadsheh household, we bake our own sourdough bread. Hana and Maya love to bake cakes and cookies, and we are always trying new recipes,” says Shuchi.
Giving back to the community is something the family lives by. Shuchi is on the Board for Children’s Home of Stockton, which provides refuge to at-risk youth and gives them the opportunity to have a normal life in a safe environment. “We also strongly believe in education and have set up scholarship funds for underprivileged students. We do yearly gifts at different educational institutes. Our daughters have done baking sales in Stockton, for the local mosque and are currently involved at MCC (Muslim Community Center) in Pleasanton. Growing up we lived by the motto that even a smile can be a charity, and seeing my mother, who was a high school history teacher, paying for her students’ tuition who can’t afford them, always inspired me. We want to instill the same values in our daughters,” shares Mamoun and Shuchi.
The Alhamadsheh Family say they feel blessed to call Blackhawk home. “We enjoy our quiet and friendly neighborhood. We love to see all the wildlife during our daily walks. I would not be shy to say that our neighborhood is one of the best that there is. Everyone is so kind and nice, which even makes the daily walks so much more fun. At any point, if one of the neighbors is not feeling well, there will always be someone who will take the initiative to make a meal train list. The advantage of the fitness center, tennis courts, and swimming pool for the girls to be so close is unbeatable. We are so blessed to be in Blackhawk. Thank you our dearest neighbors for being so kind, helpful and friendly. You all are amazing, and we are blessed to have you in our lives.”
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010 | Photos courtesy the Alhamadsheh Family