Drug Development Molecular Biology

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Muhammad Sheraz, PhD

• Email: **********@*****.***

• Phone: +1-803-***-****

• Google Scholar: Publications Link

• LinkedIn: Profile Link

• Address: Hatfield, Pennsylvania, 19440, USA

Scientific Background

Accomplished scientist with a PhD in Microbiology & Immunology and over a decade of experience in virology, molecular biology, and drug discovery. Demonstrated expertise in developing high-throughput screening assays, antiviral drug development, and preclinical research. Proven track record of scientific innovation, collaborative research and drug development, and publication in top-tier journals. I am seeking a role in an organization that values innovation and teamwork, where I can use my expertise to lead creative projects, collaborate with talented teams, and see my work make a difference in improving global health.

Education

• PhD in Microbiology & Immunology

Drexel University College of Medicine, USA

Fall, 2013 – Spring, 2019

• M.Sc. in Biotechnology

Claflin University, USA

Fall, 2010 – Spring, 2012

Professional Experience

• Principal Scientist, Biology Atux Iskay Group LLC.

[July 2024 – to date]

o Executed PP2A-targeted therapeutics for Alzheimer's, cancer, and respiratory diseases. o Designed and developed cell-based screening assays. o Collaborated with teams for preclinical research and clinical trials. Significant Role and Accomplishments:

Established in vitro assays, in-house, and saved tens of thousands of dollars in expenditure.

Coordinated with CROs and developed new assays in house

Published a poster, and generated data for a research article. 2

• Senior Scientist, Biology Arbutus Biopharma Inc.

[June 2019 – Nov 2023]

1. Expertise in Experimental Design and Execution:

• Led high-throughput screening (HTS) assays for therapeutic compounds against HBV and SARS-CoV-2.

• Developed antivirals using OC43 in vitro infection models.

• Spearheaded antiviral resistance selection program. 2. Leadership in Preclinical Research and Innovation:

• Led antiviral strategy development.

• Provided technical expertise and leadership on multidisciplinary teams, contributing to method development.

• Supported IND submission.

Significant Role and Accomplishments:

Established several vitro assays, in-house, and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenditure.

At least 3 different programs (COVID-19 assays, resistance selection, and Tri- phosphate compounds) were run and successfully established, in-house.

Published 5 research articles, 3 posters and 1 IND submission. Key Skills

• Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Techniques: o Genetic Cloning, Gene expression, microRNA Array expertise, PCR, qPCR, RNA-seq, siRNA knockdown, and CRISPR knockout, Blots: Southern, Northern, Western, SDS-PAGE, dot blot, particle gel.

• Virology Techniques:

o High-throughput screening (HTS), TCID50 assay, plaque assay on OC43, bDNA assay, resistant viral selection.

• Cell Culture and Assay Techniques:

o Mammalian cell culture, generating transient and stable cell lines, generating HBV and OC43 virions, ELISA, AlphaLISA, Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). 3

• Data Analysis and Record Expertise:

o XLFit, GraphPad Prism, ELN, MATLAB, SAS, Basic Flow Cytometry (Guava®).

• Phylogenetics and Comparative Genomics Tools:

o ClustalW (Alignment, Dendograms) program, cmd program (phylogenetic trees), SPDB and HMMER, G-Block, CD-Hit, MUSCLE, TMHMM (protein structures). Scientific Research & Publications

• Muhammad Sheraz on Google Scholar:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=FtSM1AUAAAAJ o Citations 517

o h-index 8

• Key Publications:

o McGovern-Gooch, Kayleigh R; Sheraz, M.; and Sofia, Michael et.al., " Biological Characterization of AB-343, a Novel and Potent SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Inhibitor with Pan- Coronavirus Activity". Antiviral Research, 2024 Nov 20, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.106038.

o Lam AM, Sheraz, M., and Overholt N, et al., “Preclinical Antiviral and Safety Profiling of the HBV RNA Destabilizer AB-161”. Viruses. 2024; 16(3): 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16030323. o Sheraz, M., and Guo JT. et.al., “Cellular DNA topoisomerases are required for the synthesis of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA”. J Virol. 2019 Mar 13. pii: JVI.02230-18. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02230-18.

o Sheraz, M., Kanak, M., and Bagasra, O. (2016). “Use of Flaviviral genetic fragments as a potential prevention strategy for HIV-1 Silencing”. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 10(08), 870-879. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.7386 Professional Memberships

• American Society for Virology

• European Society for Virology

• American Society for Microbiology

• International Society for Infectious Diseases

• Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

• International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR)

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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