Medical Microbiology

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Niyaz Ahmed is an academic bio-scientist, veterinarian and an Open Access advocate based in Hyderabad, India. He was graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 1995 and obtained further degrees in Animal Biotechnology (MS) and Molecular Medicine (PhD). Niyaz worked for the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) for 10 years where he contributed significantly to the mission of that centre through his association studies in molecular epidemiology since 1998 until he joined the University of Hyderabad in December 2008.

Niyaz leads a long-term program in Pathogen Genomics and Evolution at the University of Hyderabad and supervises a team of 10 PhD students and a post-doctoral fellow. Current research interests of his lab include genomics, evolution and biology of the two co-evolved pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori, in the context of evolution of host-adaptation mechanisms and optimization of virulence through genomic recasting.

Niyaz is also a Speaker of the International Graduate College - Functional Molecular Infection Epidemiology - GRK1673, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), and heads the India arm of the GRK 1673.

Amidst his busy research career Niyaz is an ambassador of Open Science, Open Access to Science and Open Evaluation of Science. He is a member of the PLoS International Advisory Board and is the Section Editor (Microbiology and Genomics) of PLoS ONE. More recently, he has championed the cause of 'Gut Pathogens' - a developing-world-focussed Open Access journal, of which he is an Editor-in-Chief.

Niyaz blogs at http://niyazahmed.blogspot.com - this blog site is primarily aimed at re-promoting and highlighting important Open Access content that has been published in PLoS ONE journal and the Gut Pathogens.

Niyaz Ahmed was previously a Faculty Member for Gastrointestinal Infections in the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Faculty. His evaluations during that time can be viewed here.