# Team

## Prof. Azizul Islam, DVM, M.Phil, Ph.D

*Principal Investigator*

Prof. SKM Azizul Islam is experienced in teaching and research for 22 years, undertaking research on veterinary clinical biochemistry, antimicrobial resistance and residues, internal medicine specially metabolic disorders of both human and livestock, pharmacokinetic study of drugs, isolation of bio-active compounds from medicinal herbs, designing and implementing project on community-based animal health care services, molecular biology, development of analytical methods for analysis of food based products and biological samples, skills on mammalian cell culture, western blotting, using stereotaxic equipment, and electrophysiology, management of government and donor funded projects, curriculum development and lecturing, writing scientific and reviewing scientific articles for peer reviewed journals. Prof. Islam is the Executive editor of the Bangladesh Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

## Muntasir Kamal, Ph.D., M.Sc.

*Co-founder & Scientific Advisor*

Muntasir completed his Ph.D. in the Dept. of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Prof. Peter Roy. His research uncovered the phenomenon of accumulation of xenobiotics in the pharynx cuticle of C. elegans and other related nematodes, and led to the finding that the nematode pharynx cuticle harbours many amyloid-like peptides/proteins. Consequently, Muntasir and fellow-researchers have employed C. elegans as an in vivo platform for successful high-throughput screening (HTS) and discovery of anti-amyloid compounds. For his post-doctoral work, Muntasir used the worm as a model to discover pharmacological modulators of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease in the lab of Prof. Lorraine Kalia, M.D., at Krembil Research Institute, Toronto. Noting the glaring absence of C. elegans research in his native country of Bangladesh, he co-founded this laboratory.

## ATM Yusuf, Ph.D. Candidate

*Project Leader*

ATM Yusuf, an Assistant Professor at Department of Pharmacy in University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC) with a passion for research and teaching. Currently pursuing a PhD under Department of Biochemistry at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), focuses on the molecular biology of Caenorhabditis elegans. His expertise bridges pharmacy and biochemical research, aiming to contribute to health sciences. Dedicated to innovation, he thrives on exploring the intricate mechanisms of life.

## Md. Nayeem, M.Ph. Fellow

Md. Nayeem is a researcher with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and is currently pursuing a Master's in Public Health (MPH) degree under the One Health Institute at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. His research focuses on discovering new drugs using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism and exploring the medicinal potential of plants. Nayeem strives to bridge his expertise with public health principles to address significant health challenges, reflecting the One Health approach of developing sustainable treatments that benefit both humans and animals.

## Zinat Tahira Nahida, M.Sc. Fellow

Zinat Tahira Nahida completed her graduation from Noakhali Science and Technology University at the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Department. She is now doing her post-graduation in Biochemistry at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, where her team established a mouse lab used in colon cancer and ulcerative colitis research. She is currently working on her thesis on the treatment of ulcerative colitis effects on mice, and believes C. elegans is an excellent, accessible model organism for drug development in countries like Bangladesh.

## Miftah Uddin Mahmud, M.Sc. Fellow

Miftah Uddin Mahmud is a motivated researcher who holds a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering and is currently pursuing an MSc in Biochemistry. His on-going research identifies early diagnostic biomarkers for Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and its progression to colon cancer using a DSS-induced colitis mouse model. He is enthusiastic about using C. elegans for drug screening and phytochemical research in the quest for anticancerous compounds, hoping to make revolutionary contributions to cancer biology.

## Asif Al Mahmud, M.Sc. Fellow

Asif Al Mahmud is a postgraduate student pursuing an MS in Biochemistry under the Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from NSTU. Deeply fascinated by phytochemicals since undergrad, he now creates extracts from various plants and has found the C. elegans model an excellent tool for evaluating their bioactivity and therapeutic potential.