Zeb Hussain | Biology and Life Sciences | Research Hypothesis Excellence Award

Dr. Zeb Hussain | Biology and Life Sciences | Research Hypothesis Excellence Award

Dr. Zeb Hussain | Biology and Life Sciences | Research Hypothesis Excellence Award | Lecture | Dow university of health sciences | Pakistan

Dr. Zeb Hussain is an accomplished microbiologist, medical laboratory scientist, and researcher whose work bridges advanced diagnostic microbiology, infectious disease surveillance, molecular epidemiology, and clinical laboratory quality systems. Dr. Zeb Hussain holds an M.Phil. in Pathology (Microbiology) from Dow University of Health Sciences and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Karachi with a research focus on the molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of carbapenemase-producing bacteria associated with ventilator-acquired pneumonia. His academic foundation also includes a BS in Medical Laboratory Technology, a BSc in Chemistry and Biology, an Executive MBA in Health Management, and professional certification in ISO-15189:2012 assessor training from the Pakistan National Accreditation Council, equipping him with both scientific depth and managerial competence. Professionally, Dr. Zeb Hussain has extensive experience as a Medical Technologist and Shift Supervisor at the Dow Diagnostic and Research Complex, where he oversees microbiology operations including bacterial and fungal culture interpretation, parasitology, serology, PCR-based molecular diagnostics, biosafety practices, quality assurance, ISO compliance, and laboratory workflow management. His managerial expertise extends to inventory oversight, vendor coordination, LIS operations, staff supervision, and patient-physician issue resolution, ensuring efficient clinical service delivery. As an educator, he has taught medical and health sciences students at Malir University of Science and Technology and conducted MBBS/BDS tutorials at Dow University of Health Sciences, contributing to academic capacity building in laboratory sciences. His research interests include antimicrobial resistance, multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens, genotyping of bacterial and viral organisms, clinical-environmental surveillance, and epidemiological modelling of infectious diseases. Dr. Zeb Hussain’s research skills encompass molecular diagnostics, PCR, DNA/RNA extraction, immunoassay evaluation, culture and sensitivity testing, laboratory biosafety, and use of automated biochemical and hematology analyzers. He has presented his research internationally, including at the European Congress of Immunology in Vienna, and has contributed to several peer-reviewed publications in Scopus-indexed journals in areas such as measles sero-surveillance, invasive blood culture pathogens, uropathogens, and antimicrobial resistance patterns. His awards and recognitions include international poster and oral presentation selections, reflecting his active role in global scientific exchange. Dr. Zeb Hussain continues to advance clinical microbiology through his dedication to infectious disease research, laboratory quality enhancement, and academic mentorship, demonstrating strong commitment to improving public health outcomes and clinical microbiological practices within Pakistan and beyond.

Profile:  orcid

Featured Publications

  1. Hussain, Z., Farooqui, F., Ibrahim, A., & Baig, S. (2025). Patients and surfaces: Integrated clinical–environmental surveillance of MDR gram-negative bacteria in critical-care units (Karachi). Microorganisms.

  2. Hussain, Z., Naim, A., Fatima, A., Karim, A., Uddin, F., & Shams, S. (2025). Distribution of MBL and serine-β-lactamase-producing pathogens in ventilator-associated pneumonia: Insights into MDR and XDR strains. Iranian Journal of Microbiology.

  3. Hussain, Z. (2024). Sero-surveillance of measles virus seropositivity amongst vaccinated children of rural areas of Sindh. Microbiological & Immunological Communications.

  4. Fatima, A., Iffat, W., Dawood, K., Sarfaraz, S., Hussain, Z., Siddiqui, H. Z., & Gajdács, M. (2023). Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of uropathogens in Karachi, Pakistan. Acta Biologica Szegediensis.

  5. Fatima, A., Gohar, H., Dawood, K., Sajjad, M., Fasih, F., & Hussain, Z. (2022). Distribution of invasive pathogenic isolates in blood culture with their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in a diagnostic lab in Karachi. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association.

  6. Hussain, Z. (2020). Measles in Sindh, Pakistan. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association (Submission ID: JPMA-2020-2312).

  7. Hussain, Z. (Year not specified). Sero-surveillance of measles virus amongst vaccinated children of rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan. Unpublished conference research.

 

Paola Pontrelli | Biology and Life Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paola Pontrelli | Biology and Life Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Biology and Life Sciences | University of Bari Aldo Moro | Italy

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paola Pontrelli is a female scientist specializing in experimental biology with emphasis on renal pathophysiology, transplantation immunology, and molecular mechanisms in kidney disease. She holds a PhD in clinical pathology / experimental biology from the University of Bari Aldo Moro and/or affiliated institutions (PhD granted after high-quality doctoral work in molecular and immunologic mechanisms underlying renal injury, graft rejection, and kidney transplantation). Over her academic and professional career she has held roles such as Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences / Experimental Biology, has been involved in major research units at the University of Bari and related transplant and nephrology centers, and has collaborated extensively at national and international levels, participating in multidisciplinary projects on dialysis, graft rejection, bio-molecular profiling, immune signalling, complement activation and chronic kidney disease. Her work draws on strong research interests including diabetic nephropathy, antibody-mediated rejection of kidney transplants, inflammation and immune modulation in dialysis and transplant settings, interferon signatures, metabolic dysregulation in immune cells, and molecular biomarker discovery. She has developed research skills in transcriptomics / gene expression profiling, proteomics / phosphoproteome analyses, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, microarray, quantitative PCR, bioinformatic pathway analysis, handling patient samples (dialysis, transplant) and in vitro/in vivo experimental models. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paola Pontrelli has authored 97 documents, 2,676 Citations, 30 h-index, reflecting a robust scholarly output and impact.

Profile:  Scopus | ORCID

Featured Publications

  1. “Dialysis-related systemic microinflammation is associated with specific genomic patterns”, 2008 — ~31 citations

  2. “Local synthesis of interferon-alpha in lupus nephritis is associated with type I interferons signature and LMP7 induction in renal tubular epithelial cells”, 2015 — ~64 citations

  3. “GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES IN CD8+ T CELLS IN CHRONIC ANTIBODY-MEDIATED REJECTION (CAMR) OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION”, 2018 — citation

  4. “Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles from kidney transplant patients with antibody-mediated rejection induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and senescence in tubular epithelial cells by modulating complement activation”, 2022 — citation

  5. “A type I interferon signature characterizes chronic antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplantation”, 2015 — citation