Past Events

Professor Paul W. Denny

Professor in Biosciences Department

University of Durham, United Kingdom

Date: 6 August, 2021  

Time: 02:30 pm Pakistan Standard Time

Our Programme: NTDs (neglected tropical diseases) are a major health and economic burden in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states.  The control and elimination of NTDs requires both a scale-up and integration of global mass treatment programmes, along with new tools and technologies to tackle these diseases.  COMSTECH, in collaboration with A Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (known as the NTD Network, https://ntd-network.org/), is launching a virtual lecture series.  for researchers across the Moslem world and beyond.  Our programme draws upon expertise from both networks, and offers opportunities to gain or enhance researcher knowledge, skills and connections, all of which help to grow our shared global capacity to tackle these rapidly growing NTDs.

• The NTD Network, funded by UKRI’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), is a consortium of academic researchers from South America, Asia, and the UK, seeking new therapeutic solutions to leishmaniasis and Chagas disease
• Both COMSTECH and the NTD Network aim to promote global scientific cooperation and build researcher capacity to find new and better therapeutic solutions for NTDs

This online programme is the first of many COMSTECH-NTD Network joint activities via the COMSTECH platform. 

Target Audience: This webinar is open to academics, scientists and the general public from all OIC member states.  The content is most relevant to scientists interested in NTDs research, and specialised in Microbiology, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Medicine, and Pathology. 

Please find attached:

• Webinar poster/flyer
• The speaker’s profile

Register with us to attend this meeting:

• Register at : https://forms.gle/6JX8KYeWHJFBekQU7

Contact us for further details:

Khazima@comstech.org;  comstech@comstech.org

August 24 – 25, 2021

Venue: COMSTECH Secretariat, Islamabad-Pakistan

Deadline for Applications: August 03, 2021

Introduction

The Islamic world is vast and diverse, comprising of many developing countries which are still in need of skills and knowledge in scientific research and laboratory management. The current scientific research topics touch many fields of expertise requiring interdisciplinary expertise. In this scenario, researchers, scientists working in all fields of natural sciences have to indulge themselves in research techniques from other disciplines to produce authentic and reliable results.

The work carried out in laboratories around the globe continues to provide important advances in science and engineering. The laboratories have become the center for acquiring knowledge and developing new materials for future use, as well as for monitoring and controlling those chemicals currently used routinely in thousands of commercial processes. The chemicals and equipment used today are beneficial, but simultaneously have the potential to damage human health, the environment, equipment, and the property.

A new culture of safety and security consciousness, accountability, has developed in organizations, and educational institutions around the world. Particularly, the laboratories of the chemical industry, government, and academia have developed special procedures and equipment for handling and managing chemicals and equipment safely and securely.

Realizing the importance of Chemical Safety & Security for Laboratories, a two-day program has been planned focusing on the subject in August 2021.

Objective

The program focuses on lectures being delivered by experts, eminent scholars/researchers in the area of Laboratory & Chemical Safety & Security, aimed at building concepts, enhancing critical thinking, and developing understanding of the subject at undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels.

Laboratory & Chemical Safety & Security has critical role for staff, faculty, researchers and students working in a Chemical Laboratory. The program is designed aimed to get understanding on how to protect their health including laboratory assess and environment, enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Target Audience:

Scientists, Researchers, Lab supervisors, from the OIC countries.

Key Contents:

The workshop will cover the following topics:

•     Behavior Based Safety

•     5S Housekeeping

•     Good Lab. Practices (GLP)

•     Hazard Recognition / Risk Assessment (RAMP)

•     Understanding Safety Data Sheets

•     Understanding Hazard Warning Signs, GHS Labeling, Coding & Tagging system

•     Selection and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

•     Chemical Safety / Compressed gas cylinder Safety

•     Hazardous material management

•     Fire Safety

•     Electrical Safety

•     Fume hoods / Air Change & Ventilation Systems

•     Hazard Communication and use of Emergency Response Plan

•     Lab. Waste Management & Safe disposal

•     Documentation, SOPs

About the Speaker

Mr. Khalid Latif is a dynamic executive with over 35 years of experience in multi-national companies. He earned Master’s Degree in In-organic Chemistry from University of Karachi. He participated in various professional training courses and medium-term assignments/ project from manufacturing facilities of parent companies in Europe and Asia Pacific countries.

He attended professional courses and management trainings for various institutions including   Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan Institute of Management, American Management Institute, Institute of Business Management etc.

During his professional career, he achieved success in lowering cost and improving delivery of products to the customer using moderns supply chain concepts including JIT, QOTIF, vendor development and evaluation on the basis of their cost and efficiency, HHS & manufacturing excellence projects. Under University-Industry interaction seminar series, he  delivers lectures on various technical subjects including Work Place Ergonomics / Health Safety & Environment and Processional Integrity at multiple institutions in Pakistan.

About the Speaker

Sabine Schultes is an internationally known expert in HSE, with more than 25
years of expertise in multi-national companies of the oil, food and chemical
industry.
She held positions in Product Safety and Dangerous Goods Management and
became a recognized specialist and Safety Advisor for Transport & Warehouse
Safety.

She leads the Logistics Safety & Risk Management of CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Association and chairs the Dangerous Goods Working Group of the German Chemical Industry Association VCI.

Being a court-accredited European Certified Expert for Safety & Risk Assessments and Transport of Dangerous Goods acc. ISO 17024 and a Lead Auditor acc. ISO 14001, she conducts master class lectures for Safety Management. Currently she is Head of Delegation of the Subcommittee on GHS and the Transport of Dangerous Goods at the United Nations in Geneva and further committees.
Sabine has founded Dangerous Goods Assessments & Consulting to support companies globally to stay compliant with transport, storage and chemical regulations.

Besides her professional engagement she is an editorial journalist, book author, trainer and speaker and serves as Honorary Judge at the Administrative Court at Cologne, Germany

Travel & Local Hospitality:

COMSTECH will arrange local hospitality, for all selected participants. Travel support will be provided to the speakers/resource persons only. Participants are expected to get their travel funding from their parent organizations/country of origin.

Registration Process:

Step 1: Open online registration form for Physical Participation and Virtual Participation

Step 2: Read instructions in the application form carefully and submit a properly filled form along with your CV. Foreign participants must submit a scanned copy of passport.

Step 3: Selected candidates will be notified through email; hence, applicants are required to check their emails regularly.

Venue:

The workshop will be held at the COMSTECH headquarters, Islamabad. The city was purpose-built as the capital of sixth largest globally and second most populous (in OIC) country Pakistan in the year 1966. Pakistan, according to the Forbes magazine, is a hidden treasure for tourists with rich cultural diversity, ancient history, diverse landscape, cuisines, modern cities, and locally produced items.

Technical Focal Persons

Professor Dr. Zaheer Ul-Haq

In charge Safety and Security

Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research

International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences

University of Karachi

Workshop Coordinator

Muhammad Haris Akram

Programe Manager, COMSTECH

Tel: +92-51-9220681-3

Email: haris@comstech.org

By Prof. Dr. Keykavous Parang

Associate Dean of Research, Graduate Studies, and Global Affairs Professor of Medicinal
Chemistry and Pharmacology, Chapman University, USA

13th July 2021 (11:00 AM PKT)

Abstract: In this presentation, the Speaker will introduce different cyclic peptide platforms that have been developed for anticancer drug delivery. The goal is to further optimize the peptide structures to assure the efficient delivery and safety of anticancer drugs for clinical use.

Target Audience: This webinar is open to academicians, scientists, and general public from all the member OIC states and beyond.

Profile of the Speaker: Dr. Parang is Associate Dean of Research, Innovation, and Global Affairs and a Full Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology at Chapman University School of Pharmacy in Irvine, California. He earned a Pharm.D. degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 1989. He received his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Alberta in 1997, followed by a postdoctoral study in the field of solid-phase organic synthesis in the Department of Chemistry. He pursued additional postdoctoral studies at Rockefeller University in New York and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in bioorganic chemistry. He joined the University of Rhode Island in October 2000 and became a full professor in July 2008. He served as the Program Coordinator of Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) NIH program (2012-2013). He joined Chapman University to assist in establishing the School of Pharmacy. He is an author of 189 peer-reviewed publications, 10 patents, and 171 meeting abstracts.

Dr. Parang’s research can be described as applying synthetic organic chemistry to problems in biology. Specific areas currently under investigation include (1) using peptides as cell-penetrating molecular transporters in drug delivery; (2) designing protein kinase inhibitors; (3) developing multifunctional antiviral, anticancer, and antibacterial agents; and (4) designing peptide nanomaterials for nanomedicine. One major area currently under investigation is to design peptide nanomaterials for applications in drug delivery. The objective of this project is to design and evaluate peptide nanomaterials as cell-penetrating nuclear targeting agents or molecular transporters of bioactive cell-impermeable compounds. This study will document the potential for new hybrid peptide-drug assemblies that may be used for the non-covalent or covalent targeted delivery of bioactive molecules, including cell-impermeable compounds with biological significance. He is an author of 205 peer-reviewed publications, 13 issued or pending patents, and more than 180 meeting abstracts.

Poster of webinar:  Attached

Registration Link:
Click here to Register

Procedure to join:

Zoom link for participation will be shared selected participants.

Address: COMSTECH Secretariat, 33-Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad 
Phone No. : 92 51 9220681-3
Email: Khazima@comstech.org ; comstech@comstech.org

By Prof. Dr. Utkir A. Rozikov

V.I.Romanovskii Institute of Mathematics,

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

8th July 2021 (3:00 PM PKT, 11:00 AM UK)

Abstract: We give a preliminaries from biology about free and bisexual populations. Considering several mathematical models of biological and physical dynamical systems we discuss their time and temperature depending behaviors. Moreover, some open problems will be discussed.

Target Audience: This webinar is open to academicians, scientists, and general public from all the member OIC states and beyond.

Profile of the Speakers: Rozikov is an internationally renowned expert in probability, mathematical physics and analysis, specializing in dynamical systems and statistical mechanics on graphs. His prizes and fellowships include prize of TWAS for Young Scientists; TWAS Young Affiliate; TWAS Research Grant; Prize of Japan Embassy in Tashkent; Medal “Uzbekiston Belgisi”, Uzbekistan; Fellowship of IHES, France; NATO Reintegration Grant; The Royal Society grant, Cambridge, UK; Medal “The excellent teacher” of Uzbekistan; CNR-Fellowship grant of Italian CNR; Junior Associate of ICTP, Italy.

Rozikov is an exceptionally prolific author: since 1995, he has published over 150 papers in top journals including 12(!) papers in the flagship Journal of Statistical Physics (Impact Factor 1.202), 23(!) papers in Theoretical and mathematical Physics and also in Lett. Math. Phys. (1.939), Comm. Math. Phys. (2.086), J. Stat. Mech. Theory Exp. (2.404), J. Math. Anal. Appl. (1.120), etc. In particular, in 2013 he published an extensive review paper (112 pages) in Rev. Math. Phys. (1.329), followed by 4 (four) research monographs.

Poster of webinar:  Attached

Link for registration and E- certificate:

Click here for registration

Procedure to join:

Zoom link for participation will be shared selected participants.

Address: COMSTECH Secretariat, 33-Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad 
Phone No. : 92 51 9220681-3
Email: Khazima@comstech.org ; comstech@comstech.org

Training Webinar on
“Acquisition, Conservation, Exchange, and Safety
Duplication of Plant Genetic Resources in OIC Member Countries – ASIA Chapter”

13-14 July 2021, 1100- 1400 hrs (Pakistan Standard Time), 0700-1000 GMT.

Event date: [acf field=”start_date”] to [acf field=”start_date_desc”]

Considering the importance of biodiversity of genetic resources and the possible loss of genetic materials from gene banks due to environmental changes or political conflicts, it is crucial to build the capacity of OIC Member countries in conserving and sustainable use of genetic resources in their respective countries.

Developing strong human resources in the field of Gene Banks and preservation of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) has become an urgent need since many of our Member States do not possess sufficient human and technical resources in this vital domain. To address this issue, Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) and OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) have agreed to conduct a series of related trainings for OIC Member countries. Bio-resources Conservation Institute (BCI) of Pakistan Agricultural Research Centre (PARC) have kindly agreed to provide technical support to the training programme in a series of Regional Training Workshops. Experts from other countries and regions will be included as per the demands of the technical program. These trainings may be considered as a follow up to the online Workshop on National Gene banks organized by IOFS and COMSTECH, July 5-6, 2020.

Due to the constraints on travel and gatherings imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic the trainings will be held online.

• Objectives

•       To raise awareness of OIC Member countries in establishing gene bank requirements

•       To build the capacity of OIC Member countries in maintenance and operations of gene banks (collection of genetic materials, conservation, germplasm exchange policies)

•       To familiarize with international and national laws and policies

•       To discuss and exchange the international practices in the conservation of genetic resources and effective collaboration in this field of various stakeholders on the national and international level.

• Implementation of activities

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the organizing parties will implement the following activities during the period of July-November 2021 in the areas of common interest:

1.     Online training on PGR (Region-I) Asia                        13-14^th July, 2021

2.     Online training on PGR (Region-II) Africa       

3.     Online training on PGR (Region-III) MENA 

Training will include video demonstrations and other interactive features to involve active participation.

• Participation: Professionals, academics and researchersrelated to the field of PGR and Food Security
• Interested participants should apply online Click Here  by 7^th July 2021.

• Detailed Program of the 1^st Online Training Webinar (Asia Region): 13-14^th July, 2021, 1100 to 1400 hours Pakistan Standard Time. (Download)
• Flyer (click here)

Prof. Dr. Gautam R. Desiraju

(Professor Solid State & Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science,

Bangalore, India

Winner of Alexander von Humboldt Forschungspreis, and the TWAS award

Date and Time: 11th August, 2021; 3:00 PM PKT

Abstract:

A field that was defined 30 years ago as “the understanding of intermolecular interactions in the context of crystal packing and in the utilization of such understanding in the design of new solids with desired physical and chemical properties”, and which has been identified as the central issue in structure design. The lack of a direct correspondence between molecular and crystal structure in the sequence “One → Few → Many → Nucleus → Crystal”, has now evolved into “an area of virtually unlimited scope where science funding and translation efforts could be directed in the current climate of a society that increasingly expects applications and utility products from science and technology”. Certain current concerns will be addressed in this talk.

Target Audience:

This webinar is open to academicians, scientists, and general public from all the OIC member  states.

Profile of Speaker:

            Prof. Dr. Gautam Desiraju’s work is in the subject of Crystal Engineering. He has made seminal, wide-ranging and original contributions at the top-most international level. Prof. Dr. Desiraju has developed and nurtured the subject into a modern, competitive area. He is well noted for gaining acceptance for the theme of weak hydrogen bonding among chemists and crystallographers. Through his now classical book “ Crystal Engineering, The Design of Organic Solids (Elsevier, 1989), he showed that this is a subject of vast scope. His outstanding and prolific academic record amounts at present to 475 research papers, three authored books and three edited books. Prof. Dr. Desiraju is cited nearly 50000 times in SCI journals and books, with an h-index of 90 (Web of Science), placing him among the most cited scientists in India today. He was a member of the IUPAC committee responsible for producing a modern official definition of this important intermolecular interaction (2011). He has won international awards such as the Alexander von Humboldt Forschungspreis and the TWAS award in Chemistry and was awarded the ISA medal for science of the University of Bologna for the year 2018. Dr Desiraju is a former President of the International Union of Crystallography. He is a recipient of an honorary doctorate degree of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina and of the Rayalaseema University, Kurnool. Presently he is a member of the editorial advisory boards of Angewandte Chemie, Chemical Communications and Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Poster of webinar:  Attached

Link for registration and E- certificate:

Click here for Registration

Address: COMSTECH Secretariat, 33-Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad 
Phone No. : 92 51 9220681-3
Email: Khazima@comstech.org ; comstech@comstech.org

Dr. Mobashir Ahmed Bhatti

(MBBS, MD, Naturopath MD, Nutritionist CNC, RMP Consultant
Honorary Consul of Papua New Guinea in Pakistan)

Date and Time: June 30th, 2021; 3:00 PM PKT

Abstract:

Addressing the regional disease burden brought on by a cultural and economic shift in South Asia by providing Integrative Medical solutions based on area specific demands and needs. A dissection of the most pressing concerns in health care in South Asian countries and proposed solutions to mitigate educational and infrastructural shortcomings through a bolstering of education that encourages capacity building in healthcare professionals and education in the general populations.

Target Audience:

This webinar is open to academicians, scientists, and general public from all the member OIC states.

Profile of Speaker:

Dr. Mobashir Ahmed Bhatti is a medical doctor, who devotes his efforts to the need of forming an international team of Professionals to work as a Research and Development Group in compiling evidence-based empirical data that irrefutably establishes and documents global health issues. To encounter the health crises in third world countries, with a focus to heal humanity through integrative medical solutions and support entrepreneurs in medical field to make them successful tools for any given country.

After completing his medical education, he achieved the following to excel his Integrative Medicine Business:

• Naturopath-MD,
• Certified Nutritional Consultant,
• Master in Business Administration (MBA)

Dr. Bhatti is the founding president of Pakistan Association Integrative Medicine and executive coaching lead for South Asian Academy of Physicians and Surgeons. He has worked in over a dozen countries setting up leadership, product, research and alliance teams. As a leadership and team development expert, now he is focused specially on health care sector.

Poster of webinar:  Attached

Link for registration and E- certificate:
https://forms.gle/fgwUfdAXKXNmsJep9

Address: COMSTECH Secretariat, 33-Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad 
Phone No. : 92 51 9220681-3
Email: Khazima@comstech.org ; comstech@comstech.org

June 23, 2021 (01:30-03:10 pm)

Program Schedule

For Speakers biography, Click here.

Register At : https://forms.gle/7R9S1NKdnSNpgzkH9

Abstract: Tankyrases (TNKSs) are members of the poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP) family of seventeen enzymes that use NAD⁺ as a source of ADP-ribose units to attach to target proteins as a regulatory post-translational modification. Target proteins of the two tankyrases include telomere repeating binding factor-1 (TRF1), nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) (essential for separation of chromatids in cell division) and axin (a major component of Wnt / b-catenin signalling). Inhibition of TNKSs is reported to lead to decreased proliferation of cancer cells. The axin−TNKS−KIF3A complex is needed for insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 to the cell membrane. Insulin-regulated amino-peptidase (IRAP) is also a binding partner and target protein of TNKSs. Thus inhibition of TNKSs should enhance insulin-stimulated exocytosis of GLUT4, leading to increased uptake of glucose in peripheral tissues, important in the management of diabetes.

This lecture will describe the story of how my group, with important external collaborations, explored the NAD⁺-binding site of the tankyrases through design, synthesis and biochemical evaluation of several series of isoquinolin-1-ones, quinazolin-4-ones, naphthyridinones, pyridopyrimidinones and related compounds. Crystal structures of several of these inhibitors, along with Structure-Activity Relationship studies, allowed detailed understanding of the shape and properties of the nicotinamide-binding pocket. NAD⁺ is also a substrate for many other enzymes in mammalian cells, including oxidoreductases and the other PARPs; thus the selectivity of inhibitors is important. These studies also led to an understanding of the structural basis for selectivity of inhibition of tankyrases vs. PARP1. Further elaboration of the core structure culminated in identification of two “dual-site” inhibitors binding at both the nicotinamide-binding pocket and at the adenosine-binding pocket. These final designed inhibitors showed exquisite potency (IC₅₀ vs. tankyrase-2 100 pM) and selectivity (65000× selective for tankyrase-2 vs. PARP1).

Target Audience: This webinar is open to academicians, scientists, and general public from all the member OIC states and beyond.

Research Interest of speaker: The research focus of the Threadgill group is drug design and delivery. We work on the application of medicinal chemistry (structure-based drug design, chemical synthesis, biochemical and cell biological evaluation) to developing new cancer treatments. Where the biochemistry of other diseases is similar (haemorrhagic shock, stroke, myocardial infarction, etc.), our work has branched out into these areas. We also research new synthetic methods in organic heterocyclic chemistry. Collaborations in Bath, Aberystwyth, Finland, India and Poland are important to our work.

CV of the speaker : click here

Poster of webinar:  click here

Link for registration and E- certificate:

https://forms.gle/z4jpiV8fiUpN5qf98

Procedure to join:

Zoom link for participation will be shared selected participants.

Address: COMSTECH Secretariat, 33-Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad 
Phone No. : 92 51 9220681-3
Email: Khazima@comstech.org ; comstech@comstech.org

Our Programme: NTDs (neglected tropical diseases) are a major health and economic burden in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states. The control and elimination of NTDs requires both a scale-up and integration of global mass treatment programmes, along with new tools and technologies to tackle these diseases. COMSTECH, in collaboration with A Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (known as the NTD Network, https://ntd-network.org/), is launching a virtual lecture series. for researchers across the Moslem world and beyond. Our programme draws upon expertise from both networks, and offers opportunities to gain or enhance researcher knowledge, skills and connections, all of which help to grow our shared global capacity to tackle these rapidly growing NTDs.

• The NTD Network, funded by UKRI’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), is a consortium of academic researchers from South America, Asia, and the UK, seeking new therapeutic solutions to leishmaniasis and Chagas disease

• Both COMSTECH and the NTD Network aim to promote global scientific cooperation and build researcher capacity to find new and better therapeutic solutions for NTDs

This online programme is the first of many COMSTECH-NTD Network joint activities we hope to offer via the COMSTECH platform.

Target Audience:

This webinar is open to academics, scientists and the general public from all OIC member states. The content is most relevant to scientists interested in NTDs research, and specialised in Microbiology, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Medicine, and Pathology.

Please find attached:

• Webinar poster/flyer
• Talk abstract
• The speaker’s profile
  
  Register with us to attend this meeting:
• Register at : https://forms.gle/W1qdudBF1395wELb9

Contact us for further details:

Khazima@comstech.org;  comstech@comstech.org