Email:  [email protected], [email protected]

Profile/Biography:

Lecturer and tutor with 5+ years of tertiary teaching experience along with a strong background of research across Health Science disciplines

• PhD graduate in Biochemistry and specifically worked on Genetics of gout arthritis, previously having strong combination of teaching and research experience
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to professional excellence
• Comprehensive research and writing abilities with 5 published papers in high impact factor Journals during Master and PhD studies
• Experience of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Biotechnology techniques along with key expertise in Genomics/Bioinformatics
• Accomplished presenter at conferences and an engaging lecturer
• Strong organisational and time management abilities, able to prioritise and manage multiple responsibilities and tasks, work under pressure and meet deadlines
• A team player who is proven in working collaboratively with others
• An effective tertiary teacher who builds positive relationships with students and who relates well with others at all levels and from all backgrounds

Academic Career Summary

Assistant Professor Qarshi University, Pakistan 2022 –continue
Teaching Assistant/Lab Demonstrator University of Otago, Dunedin 2017 – 2018
Lecturer University of Punjab, Pakistan 2014– 2015
Research associate University of Punjab, Pakistan 2012 – 2014

Education and Qualifications

PhD Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin                                                                   2021

• Genetics of Gout in New Zealand European, Māori and Pacific people
• Research interests: Genomics, Biochemistry and Biotechnology

Master’s in Zoology, University of the Punjab, Pakistan                                                                                 2012

B.S(Hons) in Zoology, University of the Punjab, Pakistan                                                                               2009

Recent Academic Experience, and Responsibilities

Assistant Professor – Qarshi University                                                                2020 – to date

Qarshi University is a non-profit organization in a private sector, located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the most precipitously emerging research University in Pakistan.

Responsible for teaching and assisting undergraduate and postgraduate students in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics and Biochemical Engineering.

Teach technical and academic material to undergraduate and postgraduate students during class and laboratory sessions with up to 25 students at a time.  Deliver assistance in the Laboratory techniques and help with problems solving, provide assistance with assignments and support students in their learning.

Teaching Assistant/Lab Demonstrator – University of Otago, Dunedin                   2017 – 2020

University of Otago is one of New Zealand’s leading universities and it ranks highly on New Zealand’s national universities league table.

Responsible for teaching and assisting undergraduate students in CELS191 (lab session) and medical students in Genetics and blood and muscles lab tutorials

Teach technical and academic material to undergraduate and medical students during laboratory sessions with sometimes up to 40 students at a time.  Deliver assistance in the Laboratory techniques and help with problems solving (particularly in Genetics), provide assistance with assignments and support students in their learning. Assist academic staff with marking assignments.

• Highly successful in relating with students from all backgrounds and proven in being approachable and in assisting with lifting achievement of students

Lecturer – University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan                                                      2014 – 2015

The University of Punjab, Lahore is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is one of the high rank Universities in Pakistan.

Responsible for teaching Zoology to BS (Hons) 2^nd year students, for delivering lectures and laboratory teaching on Cell and Molecular Biology to BS (Hons) 3^rd year students and for teaching Biochemistry to B.S(Hons) 2^nd year students.

Specialised in lecturing and laboratory work on Cell and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, supervision of undergraduate dissertation projects and developed and designed student assessments and oral examinations.

• Successful in teaching a range of undergraduate students enabling them to achieve degree qualifications

Recent Research Experience and Responsibilities

Research Associate                                                                                                          2012 – 2014

University of the Punjab, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Physiology, Department of Zoology, Lahore Pakistan, Research Associate

• Writing research proposals and scientific papers
• Using lab techniques for productive research output (1D SDS and 2D SDS PAGE, lipids and protein quantification, PCR, qPCR and Western blotting).
• Generating Performa for public health surveys and interviews by using qualitative research methodologies
• Systematical use of predefined set of procedures to answer research question.
• Handling of larger Epidemiological datasets particularly on Human health. Provided training to students in research trouble shooting.
• Handling human samples (blood (serum, plasma)), DNA extraction

Internee, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Lahore Pakistan

Worked in different section of hospital laboratory including

• Phlebotomy
• Hematology
• ELISA section
• Biochemistry
• Microbiology
• Blood banking

Software Carpentry Instructor – University of Otago Dunedin                                2016 – 2019

• Certified software carpentry Instructor; teach bioinformatics tool usage from basic to advance levels that mainly includes Bash/Unix Shell, Github and R lessons
• Worked as an Instructor in software carpentry workshop, Dunedin, New Zealand Nov, 2019
• Worked as an Instructor in Research Bazar, Dunedin, New Zealand       July, 2018
• Worked as an Instructor in Research Bazar, Dunedin, New Zealand       Feb, 2017
• Worked as an Instructor software carpentry workshop, New Zealand         July, 2017

Achievements and Scholarships

Travel and young investigator award from G-CAN conference, San Diego, USA                             Nov, 2017

Travel and young investigator award from G-CAN conference, Chicago, USA                                 Oct, 2018

Fully funded PhD Scholarship, University of Otago, Dunedin                                                               2015 – 2017

Full funded Master’s Scholarship, Pakistan Government                                                                      2010 – 2012

Full funded BS (Hons) Scholarship, University of the Punjab, Pakistan                                             2005 – 2009

Technical Skills

Programming Languages and Platforms

• R software
• Basic programming
• Unix, shell
• Graph Pad Prism, for statistical analysis of data.
• Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), for statistical analysis of data.
• Total Lab, for gel quantification.
• Excellent user of Microsoft Excel

         Data-analyst

• Analyzing laboratory generated and publicly available larger datasets (e.g. gene expression and immunological databases) by using bioinformatics and statistical approaches
• Genetic analysis of DNA samples from case control datasets

Professional Development

Training of “Exam Supervision” from Examination Department, University of Otago                             2017

Tutoring and Demonstration from Higher Education Development Centre (HEDC),                   2017 – 2019

University of Otago

Conference Presentations (national and International) with Published Abstracts

• Abstract: Evaluating the causal role of mitochondrial variations in gout development

Amara Shaukat, Anna Gosling, Matthew Bixley, Amanda Phipps-Green, Tanya Major, Murray Cadzow, Nicola Dalbeth, Lisa K. Stamp, Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith, Jennie Harre Hindmarsh, Leo A.B. Joosten, Tim Jansen, Matthijs Janssen, Anne-Kathrin Tausche, Philip Riches, Alexander So, Mariano Andres, Geraldine M. McCarthy, Fernando Perez-Ruiz, Michael Doherty, Rosa Torres, Thomas Huizinga, Rachel Knevel, Fina Kurreeman and Tony R. Merriman

Status: Selected for poster presentation at up-coming American College of Rheumatology (ACR), Chicago, USA and oral presentation at G-CAN meeting (October 2018).

• Abstract: Replication of genetic association of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-1b with gout in a New Zealand Polynesian sample set.

Amara Shaukat, Tim Jansen, Matthijs Janssen, Leo Joosten, Timothy Radstake, Philip Riches, Anne-Kathrin Tausche, Jennie Harré Hindmarsh, Nicola Dalbeth, Lisa Stamp, Tony Merriman.

Status: Poster presented at American College of Rheumatology (ACR), San Diego, USA (3^rd November 2017 – 8^th November 2017) and G-CAN meeting (2017).

• Abstract: Role of AAT encoded SERPINA1 gene in Inflammatory Gout

Shaukat, A., Phipps-Green, A., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L. and Merriman, T.

Status: Poster presented at Biomedical Sciences Research Symposium (BMS) 2017.

• Abstract: Association of genetic variants in alpha1-antitrypsin encoded SERPINA1 gene with gout risk in European and Polynesian ancestral groups.

Amara Shaukat, Amanda Phipps-Green, Nicola Dalbeth, Lisa Stamp, Jennie Harré Hindmarsh and Tony Merriman.

Status: Conference poster presentation at Genetic Society of Australia with NZ Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GSA), Dunedin (3^rd-5^th July 2017).

• Abstract: Genetic association of inflammatory gene PPARGC1B with gouty arthritis in the New Zealand population

Shaukat, A. , Phipps-Green, A., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L., Hindmarsh, J.H. and Merriman, T.

Status: Orally presented at New Zealand OSMS postgraduate symposium, 2016.

• Abstract: Genetic correlation between interleukin 23 receptor (IL23R) three variants (rs7517847, rs11209026 and rs11465804) and gout susceptibility in a New Zealand population

Shaukat, A.  , Leaupepe, K.  , Phipps-Green, A., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L., Hindmarsh, J.H. and Merriman, T.

Status: Conference poster presentation at Queenstown Research Week, Nelson (1^st and 2^nd September 2016).

• Abstract: Genetic association of inflammatory gene PPARGC1B with gout in New Zealand Polynesian and European groups.

Amara Shaukat, Amanda Phipps-Green, Nicola Dalbeth, Lisa Stamp, Jennie Harré Hindmarsh and Tony Merriman.

Status: Conference poster presentation at Queenstown Research Week, Nelson (1^st and 2^nd September 2016).

• Abstract: Association analysis of novel gout genetic variants in multiple ancestral groups from New Zealand

Amara Shaukat, Tanya Flynn, Tahzeeb Fatima, Amanda Phipps-Green, Nicola Dalbeth,  Lisa Stamp, Jennie Harré Hindmarsh, Akiyoshi Nakayama, Hirotaka Matsou and Tony Merriman

Status: Orally presented at Arthritis Theme Meeting 2015 New Zealand

• Abstract: Electrophoretically Resolved Plasma Protein Fractions in Workers of Dyeing Unit at a Textile Industry

Amara Shaukat, Muhammad Amir and Nabila Roohi

Status: Orally presented at 33^rdPakistan Congress of Zoology (International) jointly organized by Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Islamabad and PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi April 2-4, 2013.

• Abstract: Teratological Effects Induced by Metformin in Developing Fetuses

Amara Shaukat and Asmatullah

Status: Orally presented at 31^st Pakistan Congress of Zoology (International) held at University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Kashmir. April 19-21, 2011.

Published Articles

• Aichang Ji, *Amara Shaukat, Riku Takei, Matthew Bixley, Murray Cadzow, Ruth K Topless, Tanya J Major, Amanda Phipps-Green, Marilyn E Merriman, Jennie Harré Hindmarsh, Lisa K Stamp, Nicola Dalbeth, Changgui Li and Tony R Merriman (2021). Aotearoa New Zealand Māori and Pacific population-specific gout risk variants: CLNK is a separate risk gene at the locus SLC2A9. The journal of Rheumatology, accepted; manuscript number 2020-1684 (*shared authorship/contributed as a first author).
• Viola Klück, Rosanne C. van Deuren, Guilio Cavalli, *Amara Shaukat, Maartje C. Cleophas, Tania O. Crisan, Nicola Dalbeth, Lisa Stamp, Tim Jansen, Matthijs Janssen, Alexander Hoischen, Frank L. van de Veerdonk, Elan Z. Eisenmesser, Soohuyn Kim, Tony R Merriman, Mihai G. Netea, Charles A. Dinarello, Leo A. B. Joosten (2020). Rare Genetic Variants in Interleukin-37 Link this Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine to the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Gout. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (* contributed as a second author).
• Nakayama, A., Nakaoka, H., Yamamoto, K., Sakiyama, M., Shaukat, A., Toyoda, Y., … & Inoue, K. (2016). GWAS of clinically defined gout and subtypes identifies multiple susceptibility loci that include urate transporter genes. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, annrheumdis-2016 (shared authorship/equally contributed).
• Roohi, N., *Shaukat, A., Iqbal, M. A., & Mumtaz, T. (2015). Differentially expressed plasma protein fractions in workers of dyeing unit at a textile industry and comparable controls. Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 49(2), 89-94 (*contributed as a first author).
• Human Papilloma Virus.

Nadeem Sheikh, *Amara Shaukat and Hira Javaid, 2014 Journal Science International, 26 (1) (*shared authorship/contributed as a first author).