Dr Shakeel Ahmad

About

I started my career at the Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan in the research group headed by Prof. Dr. Aleem Ahmed Khan (2012). Here, I acquired skills with bird identification especially song birds related to avian diversity along Taunsa Barrage wildlife sanctuary near river Indus and the results of my MSc thesis addressing status of passerine birds passing through Indus at Taunsa Barrage in Pakistan. During this program I also got in depth understanding about mist-netting, handling of small mammals (volant and non-volant), trapping and morphometric measurements. With my growing interest in Wildlife, I got my master of philosophy in wildlife management at The Islamia University Bahawalpur, Pakistan. In couple of year, I explored avian diversity of Lal Sohanra National Park, the first declared national park in Pakistan near Cholistan wildlife sanctuary. I identified birds and highlighted the conservation measures. I was awarded Prime Minister Fee Reimbursement funded by the Higher Education Commission Pakistan to work on birds of protected area. Having a strong enthusiasm in wildlife, In my doctoral studies, I have learned to work BSL 3 laboratory to explore antiviral activities. I have documented therapeutic potential of natural animal-derived products. Antibacterial resistance, infectious viral diseases of poultry/birds e.g. avian influenza (H9N2), Newcastle disease (NDV), infectious bronchitis (IBV) (a member of coronaviridae family) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) were the main focus of my research. Antiviral activity (In ovo) of bioactive substances was assayed through hemagglutination assay. Chromatographic techniques were also utilized to characterize bioactive constituents. I published my articles in peer reviewed journals. The control of rapidly mutating zoonotic viruses by developing broad-range therapeutics is the urgent need of era. My antiviral research work perfectly matches with your desired requirements. I have earned PhD in Zoology (2016-2023) with a project on “the comparative study on antimicrobial activity and biochemical assay of reptilian oil”. This project was supervised by Prof. Dr. Aleem Ahmed Khan, Dr. Tahira Ruby and Dr. Mirza Imran Shahzad. Chromatographic analysis of extracts was supported by Dr. Gildardo Rivera, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico. This included “antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral activity, and gas chromatographic analysis of Varanus griseus oil extracts” that turned into my first authored paper. Importantly, during these years I collected a number of rewarding first teaching and training experiences with BSc and MSc students as assistant for different courses in “Zoology” and started to be invited as referee for peer-reviewed scientific journals. In 2016, I provided samples of Oriental Weaverbirds in another PhD project of Prof. Dr. Aleem Ahmed Khan and Prof. Dr. Urban Olsson, Gothenburg, Sweden which coined to a publication entitled “Phylogeography and diversification of Oriental weaverbirds (Ploceus spp.): A gradual increase of eurytopy”. In this project my support was acknowledged. In 2023, I have submitted further results of my PhD research in peer reviewed journals.

Employment

Employment history is unavailable.

Education

• Bahauddin Zakariya University Faculty of Science Ph.D. Zoology
  2016 - 2023
• Islamia University of Bahawalpur M.Phil. Wildlife Management
  2013 - 2015
• Bahauddin Zakariya University M.Sc. Zoology
  2009 - 2012

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications

Publications are unavailable.