DNA
Islamabad, Aug 2: Three-day international workshop on the development of animal disease models for metabolic disease inaugurated at COMSTECH on Wednesday. The workshop is being delivered by COMSTECH distinguished scholar, Prof. Dr. Hafizur Rahman, Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dhaka International University, Bangladesh.
The Coordinator General COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary said in his welcome remarks that this is an important event in the context of challenges we are facing today. He said we live long but we live with chronic diseases. Prof. Choudhary mentioned that we think that the pharma industry is designed to develop new drugs to treat diseases, but the reality is different. They design and develop drugs as a business.
Prof. Choudhary informed that we think that the diseases cannot be treated from current therapies. He said many diseases currently are managed and are not treated, like diabetes. Prof. Choudhary emphasized the need of developing of our own drugs.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Hafizur Rahman said that this workshop is timely and the need of the hour. He said everyone nowadays can live long, but by managing some diseases. Prof. Rahman said that the diabetes is a metabolic disease and it cause many problems. He informed that the drugs are designed and developed by the western countries to address their own needs. He said that one drug can’t be effective all over the world. He emphasized the need of developing localized models and medicines.
Dr. Hafizur Rahman is Chairman, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dhaka International University, Bangladesh. He has more than 60 publications in international journals. He has also received MEXT fellowship from Japan for the PhD program and has been awarded several research grants. He has a wonderful connection with researchers of Japanese Universities, and has received MIN6 cells as a Gift from Osaka University, Japan for PCMD, ICCBS, University of Karachi, Pakistan. Recently, Dr. Hafiz was awarded “COMSTECH Distinguished Scholar” title.
The event is hybrid, and is being attended by six foreign scholars from Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen and Uganda along with 46 local researchers at COMSTECH and more than 60 participants from different OIC member states are attending the workshop online.
