Research: The role of microbiota in urinary tract cancer
RESEARCH TITLE: The role of microbiota in urinary tract cancer.
THEMATIC AREA: Molecular Biology
SSD: BIO/10
EDUCATION
• Enrolled in the PhD course – Life Sciences - 37th cycle (2021/2022)
Host Department - Department of medico-surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies (Latina), Italy
• 2015-2017: Master’s in Zoology – PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan
• 2011-2015: Bachelor’s in Zoology – University of Sargodha, Pakistan
EXPERIENCES IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH
• Lecturer (Visiting) in the Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. (03/09/2018 – 16/09/2021)
• Internship for master thesis: on “Epizootiology of Skin Disease in a Fish Species from River Swat” (Spring 2017). The study was conducted on Labeo rohita collected from the Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The diseased fish were found to be infected with Flavobacterium columnare. I collected blood and skin tissues from both healthy and diseased fish for hematological and histopathological studies. The skin and gills of healthy and diseased fish infected with F. columnare were observed; the results obtained showed that F. columnare not only affects the fish morphology (skin and gills) but also has a significant effect on the histology of the affected species.
• Internship at Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan. (2016, 6 months)
ABOUT PROJECT
In this research project, we aim to address the intricate relationship between the urobiome and bladder cancer, a disease ranked as the 10th most diagnosed cancer globally. Bladder cancer, with approximately 573,000 new cases and 213,000 deaths in 2020, exhibits varying incidence rates across different regions. Recent studies highlight the presence of a diverse microbial community in the healthy urinary tract, raising questions about its role in cancer development. Our objectives encompass understanding the microbial factors influencing a healthy state versus indicators of pathology, particularly in women, and contributing to the development of innovative interventions and biomarkers for bladder cancer. The project involves utilizing advanced methodologies, including expanded quantitative urine culture, anaerobic bacterial growth, PCR amplification of 16S rRNA, and metagenomics analysis. By investigating the bladder microbiome, we seek to identify potential biomarkers for early-stage bladder cancer, paving the way for improved screening, diagnostics, and therapeutic strategies. This research is crucial for advancing our understanding of the urobiome's impact on bladder health and addressing gaps in current diagnostic and treatment approaches.
SEMINARS
• Emerging role for m6A RNA modification in cancer: learning from leukemia
Alessandro Fatica Dept. Biology and Biotechnology Sapienza
11/03/2022
• Functional and Pathological Interactions of α synuclein
Alfonso De Simone Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II
18/03/2022
• Amino acid metabolism: involvement in tumor progression and new therapeutic approaches
Alessio Paone (Dept Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome)
25/03/2022
• Mechanism of a cell wall transporter involved in lipoteichoic acid synthesis and bacterial adaptation
Camilo Perez. Biozentrum, Basel, CH
01/04/2022
• Evolution of Klebsiella pneumoniae high-risk clones to pan-resistance
Alessandra Carattoli Dept. Molecular Medicine Sapienza University of Rome
08/04/2022
• Architecture of the human erythrocyte ankyrin-1 complex
Francesca Vallese Dept. of Anesthesiology Columbia University, New York, USA
22/04/2022
• Metabolic control of T cell immunity
Dott. Mauro Corrado, CECAD center, University of Cologne (Germany)
29/04/2022
• RNA-based therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative tauopathies
Michela A. Denti University of Trento
06/05/2022
• When viral RNA met the cell: a story of protein-RNA interactions
Alfredo Castello MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (UK)
12/05/2022
• NADPH Oxidase: Structure, Enzymology and Drug Design
Andrea Mattevi Department of Biology and Biotechnology University of Pavia, Italy
20/05/2022
• Mechanisms of ligand binding
Enrico Di Cera Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA
27/05/2022
• Protective / Preventive Role of Natural Compounds in Human Health: Biochemical Approaches To Target Ageing and Neurodegeneration
Silvana Hrelia and Cristina Angeloni University of Bologna
01/06/2022
• Fundamental of enzyme kinetics (3rd Edition)
Teachers: Roberto Contestabile, Francesco Malatesta & Serena Rinaldo (Sapienza)
24-25-28/02/2022
• Engineering Proteins To Boost LTP And Memory
Prof. Cristian Ripoli Department of Neuroscience of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore– Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome
03/03/2023
• Application of deep learning to the protein structure prediction: the tale of a “gigantic leap”
Prof. Anna Marabotti Department of Chemistry and Biology "A. Zambelli" University of Salerno
09/03/2023
• Deciphering self-renewal traits in epidermal stem cells
Dott. Elena Enzo Centre for Regenerative Medicine ‘‘Stefano Ferrari’’, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
17/03/2023
• Insulin Signaling in Alzheimer’s Disease Brain and Models Thereof
Prof. Eugenio Barone Department of Biochemical Sciences -Sapienza University
23/03/2023
• Educating tutor-associate macrophages under metabolic stress
Dr. Ping-Chih Ho Department of Fundamental Oncology & Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research University of Lausanne, Switzerland
30/03/2023
• Synthetic Biology: what, why and how
Dott.ssa Velia Siciliano Synthetic and Systems Biology for Biomedicine Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia-IIT
14/04/2023
• Protecting our genome: mechanisms to maintain DNA repeats stability in human cells
Prof. Simona Giunta Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
21/04/2023
• The chaperonin GroEL nano-machine: allostery and function
Prof. Amnon Horowitz Department of Chemical and Structural Biology Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, Israel
12/05/2023
• The axonal transport machinery and its dysfunctions in neurodegenerative diseases
Prof. Giampietro Schiavo Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London
19/05/2023
COURSES
• CIVIS Masterclass in CV & cover letters
Masterclass in CV and Cover letters (University of Glasgow)
08/02/2022
• Preparing Artwork for scientific papers
Giorgio Giardina and Stefano Gianni (Sapienza)
06 and 13/05/2022
• Microscopy Techniques for the Life Sciences
From Ramon y Cajal to CryoEM Course for Advanced Microscopy
Sapienza University of Rome
30-31/01/2023
• Workshop on bulk RNA-seq
The Marseille Rare Diseases institute – MarMaRa
Aix-Marseille University
22/06/2023
WEBINARS AND WORKSHOP
• CIVIS Webinar
Dysbiosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Role of the microbiota in the pathophysiology of the disease
Laila Aldars (UAM) and Claire Liefferinckx (ULB)
14/04/2022
• Online CIVIS Workshop
Microbiota-related Research Tools
- Methodological aspects in the study of the microbiota and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Laila Aldars and Sebastian Mas-Fontao (UAM)
- Data analysis and statistical approach in microbiota research
Gratiela Gradisteanu (UB)
4/05/2022
• Hands-on Training in Tick Identification, Department of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, Pakistan
27/12/2021
• Indigenous Faculty Development Program for Enhancing Teaching Skills of University Teachers, at the Committee Hall, Office of the Vice Chancellor, Sargodha University, Pakistan.
27/11/2019
SUMMER SCHOOL, ROMANIA
University of Bucharest
Single-cell approaches and omics / exploring the emerging role of the host microbiome in tumor heterogeneity.
A summer School organized by CIVIS Alliance members for which I was selected and awarded mobility grant.
11/07/2022 – 16/07/2022
SIDE PROJECTS
• Construction of EPEC double gadC mutant strain to unveil the role of the two gadC genes.
• The Glutaminase-Dependent Acid Resistance System in Enteric Bacteria
PUBLICATIONS
• Tahir, H. M., Yaqoob, R., Akhtar, U., Ahmed, K., Sharif, W.R., Zaffar, A., Ghaffar, M. and Mahboob, M. (2014). Toxicity and avoidance behaviour of Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) against deltamethrin. Biologia (Pakistan), 60(2), 305-307
• Tahir, H.M., Naseem, S., Zahra, K., Akhtar, U., Mumtaz, R., Khalid, R. and Nouman, M. (2015). Autotomy: An important tool in spiders to avoid life threatening situations. Biologia (Pakistan) 61(2), 329-333.
• Siddique, F., Arshad, M., Hassan, W., Shah, Z. H. and Akhtar, U. (2020). A review on Chitosan: As a potent fish preservative. International Journal of Biosciences, 16(4), 90-101