Dr Imran Mohammed

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

The main focus of my laboratory is to study the host-pathogen interactions during corneal infection, especially investigating the pathobiology resulting from the interaction of immune cells with bacterial biofilms in the cornea. In addition, our aim is to investigate the pharmacological efficacy and safety of synthetic host-defence peptides as an alternative therapy for the treatment of corneal infection.

We utilise a preclinical mouse model of corneal infection for studying the host-pathogen interactions and testing novel therapeutics. Also, appropriate in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-silico model systems are well-established for initial safety screening and efficacy studies.

Potential for collaborations and hosting of fellowships:

My laboratory is open for academic/industrial collaborations and hosting potential postdoctoral/PhD fellowships in the following areas of research:

• Anti-infective agents: Development and testing
• Corneal infections: Dissecting disease pathology and testing novel therapeutics
• Antimicrobial resistance: Their relevance to the severity of disease and ineffectiveness of available therapeutics
• Anti-biofilm agents: Development and testing
• Host-pathogen interactions: mainly involved during microbial keratitis and biofilm infections
• Complement activation pathways: their dysregulation and association with corneal disease pathologies
• Host-defence peptides: Redesign, development, and testing

Current collaborators:

• Miguel Camara - Professor of Microbiology and Co-director of National Biofilms Innovation Centre (University of Nottingham)
• Arwyn Jones - Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Cardiff University)
• Polina Porkopovich - Reader of Pharmacy (Cardiff University)
• Oliver Castell - Reader of Pharmacy (Cardiff University)
• Luisa-Martinez Pomares - Professor of Immunology (University of Nottingham)
• Harminder S. Dua - Head and Professor of Ophthalmology (University of Nottingham)
• Winfried M. Amoaku - Associate Professor of Ophthalmology (University of Nottingham)
• Naing Latt Tint - Consultant Ophthalmologist (University of Edinburgh)
• Beth Mills - UKRI Future Leader Fellow (University of Edinburgh)
• Chandra Verma - Senior Principal Investigator (A*Star Bioinformatics Institute, Singapore)
• Rajamani Lakshminarayanan - Head and Principal Investigator (Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore)
• Wen-Chao Song - Professor of Pharmacology (University of Pennsylvania, USA)

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

Biography

Biography

Imran obtained an undergraduate qualification in Pharmacy (B.Pharm., with Distinction) from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, India. He moved to the UK for postgraduation and in 2005  completed an M.Sc. in Pharmacology (with Merit class) from Sheffield Hallam University, where he learnt the potential of biomedical research for drug discovery. His first research position as a Research Assitant at the University of Nottingham (UoN) was successful and led him to pursue a career in medical research. In 2006, Imran was awarded a Ph.D. studentship grant by the Fight for Sight (an eye research charity organisation) for doctoral studies at UoN under the supervision of Professor Harminder S. Dua and Dr. Andy Hopkinson. In April 2010, he was awarded a Ph.D. degree with a prestigious "Andrew Hendry Endowed Postgraduate Research Prize" for research excellence. Imran was keen to acquire specialised skills relevant to developing and studying preclinical murine model systems of ocular diseases, which led him to the USA. He completed Postdoctoral training (2010 to 2014) in the laboratory of Professor Wen-Chao Song at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), Philadelphia, PA, where he was awarded a prestigious "Biomedical Postdoctoral Prize" for research achievements. Between 2014 to 2015, Imran briefly explored a teaching position at Qassim University, KSA as an Assistant Professor of Immunology. Later in 2015, he was offered an eponymous position at Nottingham to work as an Elizabeth C. King senior scientist. Because of his continuous success at securing grant funding and publishing high-impact research articles, in 2018, he was promoted to an independent Senior Research Fellow post. In 2022, Imran joined Cardiff University (CU) as a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, where his laboratory investigates the immunopathology of corneal infection with a key interest in the development of synthetic host defence peptides as a novel therapy for its treatment.

Educational and Professional Qualifications

Honours and awards

• Founders Cup for Best Research - 103rd Oxford Ophthalmological Congress (2019)
• PDPR appraisal rating #1 – University of Nottingham (2017)
• Poster First Prize – 21st Nottingham Eye Symposium (2017)
• Elizabeth C. King eponymous Research Fellowship – University of Nottingham (2015)
• AUM Life-Tech Postdoctoral Award - University of Pennsylvania (2013)
• Nottingham First Prize - 14th Nottingham Eye Symposium (2010)
• Andrew Hendry Endowed Post-Graduate Award - University of Nottingham (2010)
• First Prize - 1st Translational Research Day - University of Nottingham (2009)
• David Meyer Research Prize - 13th Nottingham Eye Symposium (2009)
• Best Scientific Paper Award – Asia-ARVO meeting (2009)
• Travel Fellowship Award – Asia-ARVO meeting (2009)
• Graduate School Travel Award - University of Nottingham (2009)
• Merit – MSc programme; Sheffield Hallam University (2005)
• Distinction – B. Pharm programme; JNT University (2003)
• Distinction – Board of Intermediate Education, Hyderabad (1998)
• Distinction – Board of Secondary Education, Hyderabad (1996)

Professional memberships

a) Academic / professional membership:

1. British Society for Immunology (2021 – present)
2. Oxford Ophthalmological Society (2019 – present)
3. School Research Review Committee – University of Nottingham (2018 – 2022)
4. School Safety Committee – University of Nottingham (2017 – 2022)
5. School Mentorship Scheme – University of Nottingham (2017 – 2022)
6. British Infection Association (2016 – present)
7. International Complement Society (2010 – 2014)
8. Biomedical Postdoctoral Association, University of Pennsylvania (2010 – 2014)
9. Society of Mucosal Immunology (2009 – 2011)
10. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (2008 – present)
11. American Association for the Advancement of Science (2007 – 2008)

b) Licensure:

1. Home Office Animal Project License Holder (PPLh), UK
2. Home Office Animal Personal License (PIL A+B), UK
3. Licensed User – Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee, University of Pennsylvania, USA
4. Registered Pharmacist – Telangana State Pharmacy Council, India

Academic positions

Committees and reviewing

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:

• Antimicrobial peptides (Host-defence peptides): Development and testing in ex-vivo and in-vivo model systems
• Developing alternative therapies to combat Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• Novel therapies for the management of corneal infection (microbial keratitis)
• Anti-biofilm agents
• Studying pathobiology of microbial keratitis: Investigating the role of complement activation pathways in disease severity