Rafia Akhlaq

Education:

• Ph.D. in Microbiology

Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi (In Progress)

• M.Phil. in Molecular Medicine

Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), ICCBS, University of Karachi (2019–2024)

CGPA: 3.83/4.00

• M.Sc. in Microbiology

Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi (2018)

First Division

• B.Sc. (Hons.) in Microbiology

Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi (2015–2017)

1st Position (Gold Medalist)

Experience:

• Lecturer (Feb 2024 – Jan 2025)
  • Department of Microbiology, Jinnah University for Women, Karachi
  • Course Incharge: Statistics, Immunobiology (3-credit hours)
  • Course Incharge: Cell Biology-II, General Virology (2-credit hours)
  • Lab Incharge: Molecular Immunology, Tissue Culture Lab, Introduction to Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Agents
• Co-operative Lecturer (Feb 2023 – Jan 2024)
  • Department of Microbiology, Jinnah University for Women, Karachi
  • Course Incharge: Cell Biology-II, Microbial Taxonomy, Microbial Anatomy and Physiology
  • Lab Incharge: Biochemistry-II, General Genetics, General Virology, Marine Microbiology, Introduction to Molecular Biology

• Junior Research Fellow (July 2020 – Jan 2023)
  • Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, ICCBS, University of Karachi
  • Thesis: Evaluation of Proteomics Alterations in Oral Carcinoma Cell Line Induced by Histone Deacetylase and Thioredoxin Inhibitors
  • Focused on therapeutic resistance in oral cancer under hypoxic conditions, histone modifications, and proteomic profiling.

Research Interest:

My research interests lie in epigenetics, oncology, therapeutic resistance, and microbiology, particularly focusing on histone modifications, tumor microenvironmental adaptations, and resistance mechanisms, aiming to contribute towards innovative cancer therapies.

Publications:

• Akhlaq, R., Ahmed, T., Khan, T., Yaseen Jeelani, S. U., Joseph-Chowdhury, J. S. N., Sidoli, S., … Ali, A. (2024). PX-12 modulates vorinostat-induced acetylation and methylation marks in CAL 27 cells. Epigenomics, 1–9.
• Iqbal, N., Bano, A., Raja, D. A., Raza, A., Ilyas, R., Akhlaq, R., … & Malik, M. I. (2024). Enhancement in the antibacterial activity of Rifaximin by delivery through gelatin nanoparticles. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 1-12.
• Khan, T., Iftikhar, F., Akhlaq, R., Musharraf, S. G., & Ali, A. (2023). Acidotic and hypoxic tumor microenvironment induces changes to histone acetylation and methylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Biomedical Chromatography, 37(6), e5616.
• Akhlaq, R., Khan, T., Ahmed, T., Musharraf, S. G., & Ali, A. (2023). PX‐12 synergistically enhances the therapeutic efficacy of vorinostat under hypoxic tumor microenvironment in oral squamous cell carcinoma in vitro. Drug Development Research, 84(3), 606-610.

Research Presentations:

• Oral Presentation: PX-12 synergistically enhances the therapeutic efficacy of vorinostat under hypoxic tumor microenvironment in oral squamous cell carcinoma in vitro —
• 5th International Conference on Biological Research & Applied Science (IBRAS), Jinnah University for Women, Karachi (January 31, 2025).
• Online Seminar: Histone deacetylase and thioredoxin inhibitors regulating histone acetylation and methylation levels under hypoxia in oral squamous cell carcinoma in vitro — Fragile Nucleosome Community (March 29, 2023).
• Poster Presentation: HU-PSM Microbiology Research Update 2019, Habib University (September 14, 2019).
• Poster Presentation: 7th International Conference on Endorsing Health Science Research (ICEHSR), Dow University of Health Sciences (April 20, 2019).
• Poster Presentation: Current Innovation in Research, 2019, Jinnah University for Women (January 24, 2019).

Awards and Scholarships:

• Recipient of Regeneron Scholarship by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) for minicourse on Proteomics (2021).
• Gold Medalist — B.Sc. (Hons.) Microbiology, University of Karachi.
• 2nd Position in poster presentation at Current Innovation in Research, 2019 at Jinnah University for Women.