The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences' (UVAS) Department of Parasitology department has played its proactive role in the completion of eight PhD degrees leading to combat animal diseases during the last two years. As many as six students have recently completed their PhDs under the supervision of approved course supervisors of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), while seven other students are pursuing their PhD studies.
Parasitology department head Dr Azhar Maqbool in a statement issued here on Saturday said that the department is striving to generate and disseminate scientific knowledge to fight diseases that are affecting animals as well as human beings, acknowledging the extensive support of varsity Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Nawaz. He said the department has been awarded with the HEC scholarships for five PhD degrees.
Recently, he says, a PhD student Zakir Hussain had invented a vaccine to combat the hard-ticks disease, which is taking its toll in the livestock sector. He said a project has also been submitted to the World Trade Organisation for funding in the name of "Entomological survey of dengue vector, PCR-based identification of virus in vectors and repellent effect of essential oils against vector in Lahore, Pakistan".
Dr Maqbool said two PhDs have been completed to fight with the water-born para-ticks disease, two PhDs to fight with snail-born para-ticks disease, and one PhD each to combat vector-born para-ticks disease and the soil-born para-ticks disease. He stated two other students enrolled for their PhD programmes are conducting research to find cures for the 'food-born disease' to livestock, and the vector born disease.
Similarly, another PhD student is working on soil-born disease. Dr Maqbool said malaria is also a major challenge to the livestock sector and the university is facilitating two other PhD students to research and come up with solutions to meet this challenge.
The head of the department said that department's two assistant professors and a lecturer are enrolled for their PhD fellowship in France through HEC scholarship. In order to further upgrade and strengthen education quality at the department, he says measures are being taken for the revision of the course curriculum, while faculty members are being encouraged to seek higher education and become teachers at par with the international standards.
Dr Maqbool maintained that three students of the department, who have completed their PhDs during last two years are: Ghulam Murtaza completed his PhD degree on "Epidemiology serodiagnosis, therapy and control of schistosomaiasis in buffaloes and humans"; Kamran Ashraf on "Research work on epidemiology, zoonotic potential, serodiagnosis and control of ancylostomiosis in Dogs; and Isma Nazli Bashir completed her PhD degree on "Molecular detection and speciation of canine peroplasm(S).
The Punjab University students, who completed their PhDs are: Azmat Jadoon Shakoori and Umbreen Javed Khan on the topics "Sero-prevalence and polymorphism of toxoplasma godnni in lodal isolated, and "Epidemiology, economics importance and therapy for paramphistomiasis, respectively. While Dr Maqbool is also supervising a student Asma Waheed Qureshi on the subject of "Epidemiology serodiagnosis therapy of fasciolosis in human and buffaloes in Punjab.