RASHID AHMED

Apt 6. 309 west Springfield avenue, Urbana, IL 61801

+1 217 819 2093| [email protected]

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Objective: To seek challenging research and development opportunities in RT-LAMP and RT-PCR based detection, spatial gene mapping, OMIC technologies, microchip fabrication, cancer cell biology,  Bionanotechnology, cell culture, tissue engineering, and cell imaging.

EDUCATION

Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mirpur, AJK, Pakistan

Ph. D. in Biotechnology (expected Fall 2020)

Qualified for Ph.D. candidacy in April 2016 (Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Tariq Awan)

CGPA: 3.70/4.00

Research areas: Polymeric nanoparticle synthesis, preparation of crude plant extracts, fractionation of crude plant extracts (polyphenols), nanoparticles drug encapsulation, release and stability profiles, characterization of nanoparticles by FTIR, XRD, Zeta Sizing and SEM, cytotoxic assays of crude plant extracts and crude plant extract matrices loaded polymeric nanoparticles against cancer cell lines (SRB assay), cancer cell line Imaging and Polyphenols Tracking. Also taught courses. Research work conducted jointly at MUST and Bioresource Research Centre, Islamabad.

Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mirpur, AJK, Pakistan

M.Phil. in Biotechnology

Research areas: Fabrication of nanofiberous mats, electrospinning, characterization of nanofibers by FTIR, XRD and SEM, cytotoxic effects of nanofiberous mats against selected bacterial strains

CGPA: 3.95/4.00

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Muzaffarabad, AJK, Pakistan

M.Sc. Zoology

RESEARCH

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), Illinois, March –October, 2017

Visiting Research Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for the completion of Ph.D. project funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan under the international research support initiative program (IRSIP) Research Supervisor: Irfan S. Ahmad, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, UIUC Page 2 of 3

RESEARCH TRAININGS

·       Biosafety Training, Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, and the Plant Sciences Laboratory

·       Obtained X-ray diffraction (XRD), Zetasizer, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) instrument trainings at FS Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) UIUC in 2017

·       Cryostat training at Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology in 2019

·       Received lab animal models handling and tumor induction techniques trainings from Pakistan Bioresource Research Centre (PBRC), Islamabad in 2016

RESEARCH PROJECTS:

·       -Isolation and Identification of different strains of E. coli in different poultry forms of Islamabad (M.Sc. Thesis)

·       -Fabrication of chitosan/polyvinyl (alcohol)/zinc oxide nanofiberous mats for antibacterial activities (M.Phil. Thesis)

·       -Development and evaluation of nitric oxide releasing s-nitroso-n-acetyl penicillamine /chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel for wound healing in diabetes rabbits (Ph.D. Thesis)

TECHNICAL SKILLS

·       Computer Skills:

Proficient in Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator.

·       Experimental techniques:

Tumour induction in rats, spatial gene mapping, microbiology techniques: media preparation and sterilization, DNA extraction from animal tissues, gel electrophoresis, RT-PCR, RT-LAMP reaction, silicon microchip fabrication, hydrogel fabrication, diabetic wound healing, immunohistochemistry, electrospinning, nanofiber fabrication, characterization by XRD, FTIR, SEM, Biological assays (antibacterial, cytotoxicity, antitumor, antioxidant assays), phytochemical screening of plant extracts, cancer cell lines handling and anticancer activity assessment using polyphenol drugs, SRB cytotoxic assay against various cell lines, scratch assay, gene expression assays and nanoprecipitation technique for the synthesis of polymeric nanoparticle

AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS

·       Gold medallist in M.Sc. Zoology from Azad Jammu and Kashmir University Muzaffarabad, AJK, Pakistan 2000

·       Merit Scholarship from Azad Jammu and Kashmir University Muzaffarabad, AJK, Pakistan in 1999

·       Secured first position in AJK Public Service Commission Exam in 2004 for the post of lecturer Zoology

·       Page 3 of 3

Summary of Current Research Projects

·       Mar-Oct., 2017 Involved in “Synthesis of plant extracts loaded polymeric nanoformulations and their assessment for anticancer potential” project working at the Micro and Nanotechnology Lab (MNTL). The project at UIUC is supervised by Dr. Irfan Ahmad, Executive Director, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Research Faculty Dept. of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Co-supervised by Dr. Mosbah M. Kushad, associate professor, Plant Sciences Laboratory, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, UIUC, and Dr. Hanafy Fouly, Plant Pathologist, MNTL, UIUC. (Funded by HEC-PK)

·       May-Sept., 2017. Worked with Dr. Joseph Spencer PI (Prairie Research Institute, UIUC), Dr. Irfan Ahmad co- PI, and Dr. Hanafy Fouly co- PI on “Reducing Insecticide Resistance: Development of Unique Liposomes Pest Control System (LPCS)” since May 2017. Performed work in the MNTL designing and developing polymeric liposomes for encapsulation of insecticide; conducted greenhouse experiments for inoculation of soil with loaded liposomes. Tested loading capacity, stability, and efficiency of liposomes on corn root worm (CRW). The project is near completion as most of investigation, with potential research publication. (Project funded through Dudley Smith Initiative).

·       Nov 2017- present. Involved as research associate on a QNRF funded project with Professor  Rashid Bashir, Dean College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Dr. Anwarul Hasan Assistant Professor, College of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Qatar University Doha since November 2017 till present. Performed tumour induction in mice models, collection of biopsy samples, performed cry sectioning and gene expression analysis while preserving spatial gene organization.

Published Work

·        Ahmed, R.  Tariq, M.  Ali, I. Asghar, R. Khanam, P.N. Augustine, R. Hasan, A. Novel electrospun chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/zinc oxide nanofibrous mats with antibacterial and antioxidant properties for diabetic wound healing, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 120, Part A, December 2018, Pages 385-393

·        Masood, N.  Ahmed, R.  Tariq, M. Ahmed, Z. Masoud, M.S. Ali, I. Asghar, R. Andleeb, A. Hasan, A. Silver nanoparticle impregnated chitosan-PEG hydrogel enhances wound healing in diabetes induced rabbits, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Volume 559, 25 March 2019, Pages 23-36

·        Zahid, A.A. Ahmed, R.  Rehman, S.R.  Augustine, R Tariq, M. Hasan, A. Nitric oxide releasing chitosan-poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogel promotes angiogenesis in chick embryo model, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 136, 1 September 2019, Pages 901-910

·        Ahmed, R. Tariq, M. Ahmad, I.S. Fouly, H. Fakhar, A. Hasan, A. Kushad, M. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles Loaded with Callistemon citrinus Phenolics Exhibited Anticancer Properties against Three Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Journal of Food Quality, Volume 2019

·        Ahmed, R. Tariq, M. Hussain, M. Andleeb, A. Masoud, M.S.  Ali, I.  Mraiche, F. Hasan, A. Phenolic contents-based assessment of therapeutic potential of Syzygium cumini leaves extract. PLoSONE 14(8): 2019

·        Hani A. Alhadrami, Raza ur Rehman Syed, Alap Ali Zahid, Rashid Ahmed, Shajia Hasan, and Anwarul Hasan. Structure and Rheological Properties of Bovine Aortic Heart Valve and Pericardium Tissue: Implications in Bioprosthetic and Tissue Engineered Heart Valves. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2019. 2019.

·        Anwarul Hasan Syed Raza ur Rehman, Robin Augustine, Alap Ali Zahid, Rashid Ahmed, Muhammad Tariq. Reduced Graphene Oxide Incorporated GelMA Hydrogel Promotes Angiogenesis for Wound Healing Applications. International Journal of Nanomedicine; 2019. 14: p. 9603.

·        Chowdhury, M.E.H. Alzoubi, K. Khandakar, A. Khallifa, R. Abouhasera, R. Koubaa, S. Ahmed, R. Hasan, A. Wearable Real-Time Heart Attack Detection and Warning System to Reduce Road Accidents. Sensors 19(12), 2780; 2019

·        Khandakar, A. Chowdhury, M. E.H. Ahmed, R. Dhib, A. Mohammed, M. Al-Emadi, N.A. Michelson, D. Portable System for Monitoring and Controlling Driver Behavior and the Use of a Mobile Phone While Driving. Sensors, 19(7), 1563, 2019