PCMD scholars win Intel’ scholar award in USA

KARACHI: Waqas Ahmad, a PhD Scholar at the Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi, along with co-authors have won the American Heart Association 2022 Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award. 

The Spokesperson of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) – at the University of Karachi on Thursday said, “The American Heart Association has presented “Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award” to Waqas Ahmad and co-authors, including Prof Dr Asmat Salim, Dr Irfan Khan, Dr Mohsin Khan, Rida-e-Maria Qazi, Rabbia Muneer, to recognize the authors with the highest ranked abstract titled “Combination of Pluripotency and Cardiac Transcription Factors Reprogram Skin Fibroblasts into Cardiomyocytes.” 

Waqas Ahmad and co-authors were acknowledged during the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions (BCVS 2022) in Chicago, Illinois, the USA held during July 25 -28, 2022, in the form of certificates, stick-on ribbons, photograph sessions and screen display of detailed description of all awardees and their research work, the spokesman said. 

It is pertinent to mention here that Waqas Ahmad is pursuing his PhD studies at the Dr Panjwani Center under the supervision of Prof Dr Asmat Salim. 

Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Director of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), and COMSTECH Coordinator General, congratulated the PCMD scholars. They said this was an honour for the research centres and the university, and the whole nation. He noted that the ICCBS is proud to have a pool of such competent scholars. 

Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi, Vice Chancellor University of Karachi, Prof Atta-ur Rahman, ICCBS Patron-in-chief and former Federal Minister for Science and Technology, also congratulated the scholars for their achievement.