Niaz Ali (Ph.D.)

Assistant Professor

Department of Botany, Hazara University

Mansehra, KP, Pakistan

21300

  1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

Current addressAssistant Professor, Department of Botany, Hazara University,Mansehra, Pakistan

Permanent address:Village Takhta Band, Tehsil Babozai, District Swat,

KP, Pakistan

ContactsMobile:+923139435319

E-mail:

  1. LANGUAGES

Pashto

Urdu

English

  1. DISTINCTIONS AND AWARDS

Impact Factor based on JCR list 2016=16.644

Postdoctoral Researcher Award, Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, USA December, 2013 to April, 2014.

Invited Research Visitor (Postdoc) Department of Biology, University of Leicester, UK August-December, 2013

Young Scientist Award by the Society of Experimental Biology (SEB) July 03-06, 2013 at Valencia, Spain.

Higher Education Commission (HEC)of Pakistan approved Ph.D. supervisor

Review articles for international peer reviewed journals; Theoretical and Applied Genetics (Springer) and Chromosome Research (Springer), Genome (NRC, Research Press Canada).

  1. APPROVED GRANTS FOR RESERCH PROJECTS AND TRAVELLING

Co-PI: HEC funded NRPU03 year Project 9.945 Million PKR(2015-2017). “Development of novel strategies and impacts of ex-situ conservation on the wild medicinal plants of Kaghan Valley, Pakistan”

Society for Experimental Biology (SEB)travel grant of £450(2015) to attend Third Current Opinion Conference on Plant Genome Evolution, Amsterdam, The Netherland 6th to 8th September 2015.

Award of USD 72,000 (2014-2015) from North Dakota State University, USA for Postdoctoral Research.

Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) travel grant of £430 (2013) to attend Society of Experimental Biology Main Meeting Valencia, Spain 3 - 6 July, 2013

Award of merit scholarship of GBP 65,000 from Hazara University/HEC, Pakistan to pursue Ph.D. studies at the University of Leicester, UK (2008-2012).

  1. TEACHING

Part of an active research group at Hazara University, Mansehra Pakistan andUniversity of Leicester, UK.

Teaching “Genome Biology (M.Phil./Ph.D.), Molecular Genetics and Plant Biochemistry (M.Sc.)” courses at the Department of Botany, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan.

  1. RESEARCH SUPERVISION IN PROGRESS

In progress: 08 MS/M.Phil and 05 Ph.D.

  1. RESEARCH STUDENTS SUPERVISED

Supervised students of BS/M.Sc: 05

Supervised students of MS/M.Phil: 12

Ongoing 05 Ph.D, 05 M.Phil

  1. SCIENTIFIC SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES

Plant chromosome preparation and fluorescent in situ hybridizationto study:

  • Alien introgression and polyploidy
  • Wheat karyotype evolution
  • Physical localization of break points
  • Meiotic pairing distortion and abnormalities
  • Chromosomal engineering

Development of novel cytogenetic and PCR-based markers for monitoring the transfer of agronomically important alien genes.

Immunocytology and gel based analysis to study epigenetic marks in plant genomes both at chromosomal and at DNA levels.

Recombinant DNA technology to clone DNA sequences.

DNA isolation, labeling, and handling of radioisotopes (32P).

Application of PCR based molecular markers for:

  • Mapping of wheat-alien break points.
  • Gene tagging to be used in future Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) breeding approaches and gene pyramiding.

Restriction enzyme digestion, RFLP analysis and Southern hybridization with radioactive and non-radioactively labeled probes.

Tissue culture and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation

Bioinformatics and in silico analysis of the DNA and BAC sequencesas well as a good knowledge of the bioinformatics packages such as, Dotter, BioEdit, Chromas, Mega5 and Genious required for DNA and protein sequence alignment, comparisons and construction ofphylogenies.

Fluorescent microscopy and image analysis using Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop.

Maintenance of plants in the green house and field, emasculation of flowers, crossing, bagging and selfing of wheat.

  1. SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS

ARTICLES PUBLISHED/ACCEPTED

  1. Muhammad J, Ali A, Ghafoor A, Ali N, Naveed NH, Bux H, Mujeeb-Kazi A, Akbar KF (2017). Spot blotch of bread wheat: virulence, resistance and molecular diagnostics (In press).
  2. Tariq MJ, Shah MKN, Hassan MU, Sajjad M, Jamil M, Ali N, Mujeeb-Kazi A (2017). Prevalence of higher glutenin variation in primary synthetic wheat germplasm; New avenues forhexaploidbread wheat improvement. (In press).
  3. Mujeeb-Kazi A, Ali N, et al. (2017) Structuring wheat for salt tolerance: Multiple strategies for practical implementation (An overview). Advances in Agronomy, (in press, October Issue).
  4. Muhammad S, Alam J, Ijaz F, Iqbal Z, Rahman IU, Majid A, Ali N (2017). Evaluation of the conservation status of Rhododendron afghanicum aitch. & hemsl.: a narrow Endemic species for Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 49(4): 1387-1394.
  5. Ahmed J, Rahman IU, Shah AH, Farooq M, Khan KR, Ijaz F, Ali N (2017). Some Important Medicinal Plants used for Curing Dental Issues in Shamdhara (Oghi), Mansehra, Pakistan. EC Dental Science, 13.1: 03-06.
  6. Mujeeb-Kazi A, Ali N, Ibrahim A, Napar AA, Jamil M, Hussain S, Mahmood Z, Delgado R, Rosas V, Cortes A, Rajaram S (2017). Tissue culture mediated allelic diversification and genomic enrichment of wheat to combat production constraints and address food security. Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology,27(1): 89-140.
  7. Schwarzacher T, Ali N, Liu Q, Patokar C, Sepsi A, Heslop-Harrison J.S (2017). Comparative molecular cytogenetic and epigenetic characterization of wheat-alien hybrids and introgression lines. Proceedings of the 13th International Wheat Genetics Symposium pp. 162.
  8. Ahmad I, Ali N, Ahmad H, Inamullah (2017). Association Mapping of Root Traits for Drought Tolerance in Bread Wheat. In:Wheat Improvement, Management and Utilization, Ruth Wanyera and James Owuoche (Eds.), InTech, pp. 39-57. ISBN 978-953-51-3152-6, Print ISBN 978-953-51-3151-9, DOI: 10.5772/67242.
  9. Ijaz F, Iqbal Z, Rahman IU, Ali N, Qadir G, Khan MA, Aziz-ud-Din, Shah AH, Ali I, Hussain S, Khan A, Shah M, Sadiq W (2017). The role of plants in human welfare. Journal of Traditional Medicine and Clinical Naturopathy, 6: 214.
  10. Ahmed J, Rahman IU, Shah AH, Ijaz F, Khan Z, Ali N, Muhammad S, Ahmed Z, Afzal M (2017). First Floristic Checklist of Dilbori (OGHI), District Mansehra, KP, Pakistan. Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological Sciences, 7(3): 41-48.
  11. Qadir A, AliN, Jan SA, Rabbani MA, Khurshid H, Nouman A, Ullah F (2017). Characterization of agro-morphological variation in exoticfenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) germplasm. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences, 10(3): 71-79.
  12. Ijaz F, Iqbal Z, Rahman IU, Ali N, Afzal M (2017). People-Plants Interaction and Its Uses: A Science of Four Words “Ethnobotany”. Alternative and Integrative Medicine, 6(1): DOI: 10.4172/2327-5162.1000235.
  13. Rahman IU, Ijaz F, Afzal A, Iqbal Z, Ali N, Khan MA, Afzal M, Muhammad S, Qadir G, Asif M (2016). Graphical dataset on important medicinal plants used for curing dental issues in Manoor Valley, Mansehra, Pakistan. Data in Brief, 9:1028-1033. DOI:10.1016/j.dib.2016.11.025.
  14. Masood R, Ali N, Jamil M, Bibi K, Rudd J, Kazi AM (2016). Novel genetic diversity of the alien D-genome synthetic hexaploid wheat (2n=6x=42, AABBDD) germplasm for various phenology traits. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 48(5): 2017-2024.
  15. Rahman IU, Ijaz F, Iqbal Z, Afzal A, Ali N, Afzal M, Khan MA, Muhammad S, Qadir G, Asif M (2016). A novel survey of the ethno medicinal knowledge of dental problems in Manoor Valley (Northern Himalaya), Pakistan. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 194: 877–894. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.068.
  16. Masood R, Ali N, Shah AH, Bibi F, Masood F, Rudd J, Kazi AM (2016). Evaluation and selection of synthetic hexaploid wheat and their derivatives at seedling stage targeted for salt tolerance. International Journal of Biosciences 9(1): 435-442.
  17. Rahman IU, Ijaz F, Afzal A, Iqbal Z, Ali N, Khan SM (2016). Contributions to the phototherapies of digestive disorders; Traditional knowledge and cultural drivers of Manoor Valley, Northern Pakistan. Journal of Ethnopharmacology192:30-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.06.049
  18. Ali N, Heslop-Harrison JS, Ahmad H, Grayboch RA,Hein G L, Schwarzacher T (2016). Introgression of chromosome segments from multiple alien species in wheat breeding lines with wheat streak mosaic virus resistance. Heredity 117, 114-123. doi:10.1038/hdy.2016.36
  19. Hafeez U, Afzal A, Rahman IU, Iqbal Z, Aziz-ud-Din, Ijaz F, Ali N, Khan SM, Ali A (2016). Interaction of different Nutrient Sources with Tomato (Lycopersicum esculantumL.). American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences,16(3): 527-531, 2016. DOI: 10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2016.16.3.12866
  20. Afza R, Ahmad H, Saqib Z, Ali N, Khan J (2016). Phytodiverstiy of Ayubia National Park Pakistan: conservation and management issues. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences8(2): 327-336.
  21. Ullah N, Ali N, Iqbal M, Aziz-ud-Din, Shah AH, Rahman IU, Ahmad H, Inamullah, Ali GM (2016). Markers assisted selection for multiple Stripe rust resistance genes in spring bread wheat lines. International Journal of Biosciences 8(3): 63-74.
  22. Khan J, Shah AH, Nisar M, Ali N, Khan U, KhanUJ, Ahmad H (2016). Evaluation of genetic diversity in black gram through SDS-PAGE. Plant Cell Biotechnology and Molecular Biology. 17(3&4)-87-95.
  23. Muhammad F, Shah AH, Malik AA, Ali N, Khan U, Majid A, Ahmad H(2015). Nutrient Management for Improving Onion Productivity. American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, 15 (2): 220-225.
  24. Rahman IU, Afzal A, Iqbal Z, Ijaz F, Khan SM, Khan SA, Shah AH, Khan K, Ali N. (2015). Influence of foliar nutrients application on growth and yield of onion grown in nutrient deficient soil. Bangladesh Journal of Botany.4 (44): 613-619.
  25. Afshan A, Shah AH, Waheed A, Hamid FS, Khan U, Ali N, AhmadH (2014). Impact of pruning and plucking on induction of axillary buds in tea. International Journal of Biosciences.5 (8):237-243.
  26. Khan SM, Ahmad H, Nisar M, Aslam S, Inamullah, Ali N(2013). Genetic diversity in pea germplasm using RandomlyAmplified Polymorphic DNA markers. Pakistan Journal of Botany. 45(4): 1259-1264.
  27. Ali N(2012). Molecular markers, cytogenetics andepigenetics to characterize wheat-Thinopyrum hybrid lines conferring Wheat streak mosaic virusresistance. PhD thesis,available from, British Library andUniversity of Leicester Research Archives (
  28. Schwarzacher T, Ali N, Chaudhary HK, Graybosch R, Kapalande HV, Kinski E, Heslop-Harrison JS(2011). Fluorescent in situ hybridization as a genetic technology to analyzing chromosomal organization of alien wheat recombinant lines. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) IAEA-TECDOC-1664, 121-128.
  29. Ahmad H, Khan SM, Ghafoor S, Ali N(2009). Ethnobotanical study of Upper Siran. Journal of Herbs Spices and Medicinal Plants, 15(1): 86-97.

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