Bilal Zulfiqar
Name: Bilal Zulfiqar
Position: Research Fellow
Research Area: Kinetoplastid Drug Discovery
Qualifications: Pharm.D, M.Phil, PhD
Biography: Bilal graduated in 2008 from Hamdard University, Pakistan, with an academic distinction in Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree. He completed his Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in Virology and Immunology from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan in 2011. Bilal undertook a PhD project (2014-2018) at Griffith University, Australia, to identify and biologically characterise novel pharmacologically active compounds against Leishmaniasis using high-throughput, high-content screening. After the completion of his degree, he joined the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) lead consortium team within Discovery Biology, where he utilized complex image-based high content assays for Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease to biologically profile lead molecules for progression through the drug discovery pipelines. Currently, Bilal is actively involved in a variety of commercial projects focused on the development of multiplexed image-based assays used for cytological and phenotypic profiling to develop novel therapeutics.
Discovery Biology
Publications
Braillard, S., Keenan2, M., Breese, K.J., Heppell, J., Abbott, M., Islam, R., Shackleford, D.M, Katneni, K, Crighton, E., Chen, G., Patil, R., Lee,G., White3, K.L., Carvalho4, S., Wall, R.J., Chemi, G., Zuccotto, F., González, S., Marco, M., Deakyne J., Standing, D., Brunori, G., Lyon9, J.J., Casado10, P.S., Camino, I., Martinez, M.S.M., Zulfiqar, B., Avery, V.M, Feijens, P.B., Pelt, N.V., Matheeussen, A., Hendrickx, S., Maes, L., Caljon, G., Yardley V., Wyllie, S., Charman, S.A and Eric Chatelain., DNDI-6174, a preclinical candidate for visceral leishmaniasis that targets the cytochrome bc1complex. Science Translational Medicine. 2023 Dec 13;15(726):eadh9902.
Francisco FA, Chen G, Wang W, Sykes ML, Escudié, F, Scandale I, Olmo F, Shackleford D, Zulfiqar B, Kratz JM, Pham T, Saunders J, Hu M, Avery VM, Charman SA., Kelly, J.M and Chatelain E. Preclinical data do not support the use of amiodarone or dronedarone as antiparasitic drugs for Chagas disease at the approved human dosing regimen. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases. 2023 Sep 27;4.
Hart CJ, Riches AG, Tiash S, Abraham R, Fayd’Herbe K, Joch E, Zulfiqar B, Sykes ML, Avery VM, Šlapeta J, Abraham S, Ryan JH and Skinner-Adams TS. Thieno [3, 2-b] pyrrole 5-carboxamides as potent and selective inhibitors of Giardia duodenalis. International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance 2023 Sep 22; 23, p 54-62.
Zulfiqar B, Avery VM. Assay development in leishmaniasis drug discovery: a comprehensive review. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 2022 Feb 1;17(2):151-66.
Thompson AM, O’Connor PD, Marshall AJ, Francisco AF, Kelly JM, Riley J, Read KD, Perez CJ, Cornwall S, Thompson RCA, Keenan M, White KL, Charman SA, Zulfiqar B, Sykes ML, Avery VM, Chatelain E and Denny WA. Re-evaluating pretomanid analogues for Chagas disease: hit-to-lead studies reveal both in vitro and in vivo trypanocidal efficacy. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2020 Sep 18; 207: 112849.
Pullella GA, Wdowiak AP, Sykes ML, Lucantoni L, Sukhoverkov KV, Zulfiqar B, Sobolev AN, West NP, Mylne JS, Avery VM, Piggott MJ. Total Synthesis of the Antimalarial Ascidian Natural Product Albopunctatone. Organic Letters. 2019 Jul 19; 21(14): 5519-5523.
Zulfiqar B, Jones AJ, Sykes ML, Shelper TB, Davis RA, and Avery VM. Screening a natural product-based library against kinetoplastid parasites. Molecules. 2017 Oct 12; 22(10): E1715.
Zulfiqar B, Shelper TB and Avery VM. Leishmaniasis drug discovery: recent progress and challenges in assay development. Drug Discovery Today. [Review] Oct 2017; 22(10): 1516-153.
Awards:
2023: Selected to participate in the Bridge Program 2023 organized by Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia
2020: Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD), Respect, Integrity, Collegiality and Excellence (RICE) Award
2019: ASP conference travel grant to attend the ASP Annual Conference, Adelaide, Australia
2018: 3rd Prize Oral Presentation, ASMR Queensland Postgraduate Student Conference, Brisbane, Australia
2017: SLAS Best Academic Poster Award, SLAS2017 International Conference and Exhibition, Washington DC, USA (Screening and Lab Automation Conference)
2017: Griffith University Representative at the International Student Research Forum (ISRF) hosted by the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMV), Omaha, Nebraska, USA. (Fully funded)
2017: Griffith University International Experience Incentive Scheme (IEIS) Travel Grant for an overseas program at University of Antwerp, Belgium
2017: Tony B. Academic travel award to present at the SLAS2017 International Conference and Exhibition, Washington, DC, USA (Fully funded)
2016: Eskitis-SIMM travel award to attend the Eskitis/SIMM Symposium, Shanghai, China (Fully funded)
2016: ASP student conference travel grant to attend the International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria, Brisbane, Australia
2015: Sao Paulo Research Foundation travel award to attend the Sao Paulo School of Advanced Science on Neglected Diseases Drug Discovery–focus on Kinetoplastids (SPSAS-ND3) at The Brazilian Centre for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas- Brazil (Fully funded)
2014-2017: Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship [GUIPRS]
2014-2017: Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship [GUPRS]
Conferences:
Zulfiqar, B; Kaemmerer, E; Avery, V.M. Griffith Cancer Research Network ECR + HDR Symposium held on 2nd December 2022 at Nathan, Brisbane, Australia (Oral; Dec 2022).
Zulfiqar, B and Avery, V.M. 2nd Griffith University ECR Cross Institute Symposium held on 5th November 2021 at Nathan, Brisbane, Australia (Oral; Nov 2021).
Zulfiqar, B and Avery, V.M. ASP Annual Conference held from 8-11th July 2019 in Adelaide, Australia (Poster; July 2019).
Zulfiqar, B and Avery, V.M. Griffith University Cross Institute Infectious Diseases Symposium held on 16th November 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia (Oral; Nov 2018).
Zulfiqar, B; Shelper, T.B; Jones, A.J; Avery, V.M. ASMR Queensland Postgraduate Student Conference held on 31st May 2017 in Brisbane, Australia (Oral; June 2017).
Zulfiqar, B; Shelper, T.B; Jones, A.J; Avery, V.M. International Student Research Forum (ISRF) hosted by University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMV), Omaha Nebraska USA from 4th to 8th June 2017 (Oral; June 2017).
Zulfiqar, B; Shelper, T.B; Jones, A.J; De Rycker, M; Maes, L; Freitas-Junior, L.H Avery, V.M. 6th World Congress on Leishmaniasis held in Toledo, Spain from 16th-20th May, 2017 (Poster; May 2017).
Zulfiqar, B; Jones, A.J; Shelper, T.B; Avery, V.M. SLAS2017 6th annual international conference and exhibition from February 4-8, 2017 in Washington, DC. USA.
Zulfiqar, B; Jones, A.J; Shelper, T.B; Avery, V.M. Brisbane Life Science ECR Symposium on Dec 2nd, 2016 Cube -QUT Gardens Point, Brisbane, Australia.
Zulfiqar, B; Jones, A.J; Shelper, T.B; Avery, V.M. Eskitis/SIMM Symposium 2016 Shanghai, China (Oral; Nov 2016).
Zulfiqar, B; Jones, A.J; Shelper, T.B; Avery, V.M. International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria 2016, Brisbane, Australia (Oral; September 2016).
Zulfiqar, B; Jones, A.J; Shelper, T.B; Avery, V.M. Eskitis Student Symposium 2016, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia (Oral; April 2016).
Zulfiqar, B; Jones, A.J; Shelper, T.B; Avery, V.M. Eskitis Student Symposium, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia (Oral; March 2015).
Zulfiqar, B; Jones, A.J; Shelper, T.B; Avery, V.M. Sao Paulo School of Advanced Science on Neglected Diseases Drug Discovery–focus on Kinetoplastids (SPSAS-ND3), Brazilian Centre for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil (Poster; June 2015).
Other
Publications:
Farooq, A., Zulfiqar, B., & Asghar, K. (2023). Indoleamine 2, 3-Dioxygenase: A Novel Immunotherapeutic Target for Osteosarcoma. Journal of Cancer & Allied Specialties, 9(1).
Zulfiqar, B., Farooq, A., Kanwal, S., & Asghar, K. (2022). Immunotherapy and targeted therapy for lung cancer: Current status and future perspectives. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13.
Asghar, K., Farooq, A., Zulfiqar, B., & Loya, A. (2021). Review of 10 years of research on breast cancer patients: Focus on indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase. World Journal of Clinical Oncology, 12(6), 429.
Asghar, K., Farooq, A., Zulfiqar, B., & Rashid, M. U. (2017). Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase: As a potential prognostic marker and immunotherapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma. World journal of gastroenterology, 23(13), 2286.
Zulfiqar, B., Mahroo, A., Nasir, K., Farooq, R. K., Jalal, N., Rashid, M. U., & Asghar, K. (2017). Nanomedicine and cancer immunotherapy: focus on indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase inhibitors. OncoTargets and therapy, 10, 463.
Asghar, K., Ashiq, M. T., Zulfiqar, B., Mahroo, A., Nasir, K., & Murad, S. Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase expression and activity in patients with hepatitis C virus-induced liver cirrhosis. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. 2014 Oct; [DOI: 10.3892/etm.2014.2146].
Qureshi AM, Nasir K, Mahrooh A, Zulfiqar, B., & Asghar K. Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase: potential in cancer immunotherapy. A Journal of Science for Development. 2014: 33.
Awards:
2009-2011: National University of Sciences and Technology and Ministry of Sciences and Technology Scholarship
2008: Academic distinction in Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree
GenBank Submissions:
Newcastle Disease virus isolate AG01 Fusion (F) protein mRNA, partial CDS, (2012) Newcastle disease virus: detection and characterization by Ghafar,A., Asif,S., Zulfiqar,B., Shah,M.A.A., Asghar,K. and Ashraf,M. (NCBI Accession # JX088638)
Newcastle Disease virus isolate AG02 Fusion (F) protein mRNA, partial CDS, (2012) Newcastle disease virus: detection and characterization by Ghafar,A., Asif,S., Zulfiqar,B., Shah,M.A.A., Asghar,K. and Ashraf,M. (NCBI Accession # JX088639)
Newcastle Disease virus isolate rwp01 Fusion (F) protein mRNA, partial CDS, (2012) Newcastle disease virus: detection and characterization by Ghafar,A., Asif,S., Zulfiqar,B., Shah,M.A.A., Asghar,K. and Ashraf,M. (NCBI Accession # JX088637)
Homo sapiens B-Specific 1-3 Galactosyl-transferase variant1 (ABO) mRNA, complete cds, (2011) Cloning & Expression of Human ABO blood group gene by Zulfiqar,B., Afzaal,H., Ehsan,N., Raza,M.I., Ashiq,T., Asghar,K., Abdullah,M.A. and Qadri,I. (NCBI Accession # JN791441)
Hepatitis B virus isolate NCVI-5314 precore/core protein (C) and core protein (C) genes, complete cds, (2011), Mutations in precore/core gene of Hepatitis B virus: A molecular study from Pakistan by Raza,A., Mehmood,K,, Begum,F., Zulfiqar,B., Qureshi,A.M., Qureshi,S. and Qadri,I. (NCBI Accession # JN132130)
