University of the Punjab.

Dr. Muhammad Shahzad is an assistant professor in molecular biology with specialized expertise in forensic genetics, epigenetics, and pharmacogenomics. He joined the Forensic Services Laboratory of the Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB) in 2008 and analyzed several forensic cases submitted by law enforcement agencies of Pakistan, including cases of sexual assault, homicide, bomb blasts, and unidentified human remains. Dr. Shahzad is a recipient of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Faculty Development split Scholarship and completed his PhD at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), Pakistan, and the Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology (IGP), Uppsala University, Sweden. During his doctoral training in Sweden, he worked on challenging and degraded forensic DNA samples, focusing on the development of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) typing assays. His research utilized the short fragment PCR markers and next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to achieve highly sensitive and highly discriminatory analysis of degraded and limited DNA samples. His current research focuses on the establishment of novel protocols for forensic science and pharmacogenomics using genetic and epigenetic approaches for human identification and drug metabolism. As a committed academic mentor, Dr. Shahzad has supervised several research projects and remains actively involved in interdisciplinary collaborations, with the goal of strengthening Pakistan’s forensic and molecular diagnostic infrastructure.