Malak was born in Mansoura, Egypt. For 5 years, she lived in Southampton, UK, before moving to Kingston, Ontario in 2001. She completed a BSc in Life Sciences and MD at Queen’s University and joined the University of Toronto Cardiac Surgery Residency Program in 2019. Her enthusiasm for research and innovation developed from an early stage. She participated in diverse clinical, basic science, and entrepreneurship projects in her high school and undergraduate years. In medical school, her passion for cardiac surgery developed and sparked her interests in: aortic surgery, surgical management of atrial fibrillation, infective endocarditis, and congenital heart disease.
Malak’s strong interest in patient advocacy led her to produce patient education videos and participate in health awareness campaign development. She is also interested in strategies for overcoming barriers to accessing cardiac surgical care. Locally, this involves multidisciplinary care of endocarditis patients who inject drugs. Internationally, she plans on continuing electives with the Aswan Heart Centre in Egypt, and others. She is a self-taught graphic designer and avid cyclist. Her other interests are travelling, creative writing, and board games.