Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sabar joined as a Professor at School of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (SBB), University of the Punjab, Lahore on May 27th 2024. Formerly he served at Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB) from June 25th 1996 to May 26th 2024. He started his professional life at CAMB as Assistant Research Officer after his M.Sc in Chemistry from University of the Punjab, Pakistan. Then he was promoted to Research Officer, Senior Research Officer/Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at CAMB. Initially he was engaged in the assignment of chemical synthesis of DNA Oligos and Primers and then in 1999 was assigned the task to establish the first DNA Sequencing and Genotyping lab in Pakistan which he successfully completed and managed excellently till he left the department on 27th May 2024. Having consummate expertise in DNA Synthesis and Sequencing in Pakistan, DNA Core Facility of CAMB under his supervision provided the services to researchers in molecular biology and biotechnology in an excellent manner. In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph. D he was assigned a thesis research project titled “Studies on the Physiological Effects of Different Forms of Therapeutic Alpha Interferon” which Dr. Farooq carried out in the most proficient & professional manner. Later he completed his Post-Doctoral training in King Faiysal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in Children’s Cancer Genomics Studies.
As the former Incharge of the Genomics of Human Diseases Research Group and Head of the DNA Core Facility at the Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), Dr. Sabar has been instrumental in advancing DNA sequencing technologies and their applications in Pakistan. His leadership has facilitated collaborations with prestigious institutions, including King Edward Medical University and the Livestock Department of Punjab.
As a research group leader, he has been leading “Genomics of Human Diseases & Population Genetics” and involved in research projects like Hereditary Hearing and Vision loss, Asthma Genetics, DNA Forensics, Cancer Genetics etc.
Dr. Sabar’s academic portfolio is equally impressive, with over 80 research publications in reputed journals, including 32 W-category papers. His research has accumulated over 1000 citations and a collective impact factor exceeding 300. He has contributed 210 gene sequence submissions to the global GenBank database. Dr. Sabar has supervised 5 Ph.D.s and 36 MPhil/MS students, with several more under his guidance.
In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Sabar has received numerous awards, including the Research Incentive Award for five consecutive years (2016-2020) and the Performance Evaluation Award for multiple academic years. He was also named a Productive Scientist of Pakistan by the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST) in 2017-2018.
An advocate for commercialization in science, Dr. Sabar played a pivotal role in establishing and commercializing DNA sequencing and genotyping services in Pakistan, generating over 120 million rupees in revenue for CAMB. His initiatives have made DNA analysis services accessible to a broad spectrum of researchers and institutions nationwide.
Dr. Sabar is also deeply committed to curriculum development and has served as a Member of the Board of Studies and Faculty at multiple institutions, contributing to the advancement of Ph.D. and MPhil programs.