Dr Kaneez Fatima Shad is professor of neuroscience at the University of Technology Sydney, according to her, her group has developed a biomarker for the early diagnosis of strokes.
Dr Shad completed her PhD in 1994 in neuroscience from the University of New South Wales, Australia and post-doctoral studies from Medical College of Pennsylvania, USA. Her area of research interest is to find biological markers for brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and strokes. She also has over 30 years of experience in teaching physiology, neurophysiology and other medical sciences at different universities of Australia, UAE, USA, Bahrain, Brunei and Pakistan and has published 56 peer reviewed papers, edited three books and written three book chapters and 95 international peer reviewed conference abstracts.
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She recently delivered a lecture titled ‘Why Brain? Why Advocacy? Setting the Future for Neuroscience with Peripheral Markers of Mental Disorders in Pakistan’, the lecture was organized by the Prof Dr Viqar Sultana of the department of biochemistry at the University of Karachi (KU).
At the lecture she gave several examples of peripheral markers of common neurological, neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders in Pakistan, among them was an example of generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as precursor of atherosclerosis leading to ischemic strokes.
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Dr. Shad also advised the participants to practice caloric restriction so their energy producing machine (mitochondria) would produce less ROS. She explained that currently there is no biomarker available for the early diagnosis of strokes. Specific enzymes in the blood can be used as peripheral markers for neuronal hyperactivities. D-serine concentration is an important determinant for strokes.
The biomarker that has been developed by her team in Australia is biochemical method for the early diagnosis of strokes and to identify people who are prone to having strokes in the future.
The lecture was attended by a large number of faculty members and research students from KU’s faculty of science.
Source: Express Tribune
