Faculty member at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, LUMS, Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem, has been honoured with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) fellowship for Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists. This is a particularly noteworthy achievement, as this award marks Dr. Saleem’s second fellowship from DAAD within four years.
Dr. Saleem joined LUMS in 2012 and is Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The fellowship will cover an academic visit to Saarland University in Germany, where he has been collaborating with Professor Claus Jacob at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry for nearly three years.
Their project will utilise novel small organic compounds to target drug resistant pathogens. Commenting on the research, Dr. Saleem said, “Infectious diseases continue to pose a serious threat to the global population, particularly in low and lower-middle income regions. The development of multidrug resistance in pathogens poses an even bigger challenge and calls for the development of novel approaches to target these pathogens.”
The collaboration of Dr. Saleem and Professor Jacob has resulted in an article in Current Organic Synthesis, and a chapter in a book published by Royal Society of Chemistry. He added, “Professor Jacob and I have been exploring unique organic scaffolds that can modulate the intracellular redox balance to target the biochemical processes of the pathogens. This strategy could enable the design of selective, yet effective agents, active in the sub-micromolar range.”
While sharing his enthusiasm for this opportunity, Dr. Saleem noted that LUMS has provided an environment that is conducive for high quality research and appreciated the opportunity to take his project further.
