Tell us about yourself.
Hi, I am Maliha Javed, originally from the remote areas of Chitral, Pakistan. I am working as a Research Associate at Aga Khan University's Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AKU-CRM).
What sparked your interest to pursue a career in scientific research?
My ninth-grade biology textbook had a chapter named biotechnology. That was the only chapter in the entire textbook that I enjoyed and thoroughly read repeatedly. Creating a clone of a sheep seemed straight out of a science fiction movie and to think to clone an organism in Pakistan seemed far-fetched. But to use knowledge such as genetic engineering and help people with incurable diseases was a dream that I wanted to pursue. In the northern areas of Pakistan there is a high ratio of cancer among people as they do not have access to early screening and when they do show symptoms the cancer has progressed to an advanced stage. Some of my close relatives have succumbed to this ailment as they had no effective treatment options available. In Pakistan, the only profession we conventionally choose to help people is clinical medicine, but I did not want to just implement someone else's work, I wanted to do something that budded out of my own curiosity and had novelty in it. Something that would help me to find a cure against the highly dreaded cancer. And so, I went on to explore my interest in biotechnology.
How did you prepare to begin a science career?
I did my bachelor's and master's degrees in biotechnology that provided me with insight and preliminary hands-on experience in microbiology and molecular biology. During my master's thesis I focused on discovering the probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from an unconventional resource. After completing my master's, I sought to further enrich my learning and practical skills by enrolling in a one-year research training program at the Infectious Disease Research Laboratory (IDRL) at AKU, where my work involved isolating infectious agents from biological samples and performing biochemical analyses to identify the types of bacteria.
Later, I received a scholarship opportunity to study at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom (UK), where I graduated with distinction with a Master's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. Here my research was focused on the ovarian cancer cells, cultured cancer stem cells, and characterization of their populations.
Tell us about your experience as a young researcher at CRM.
Currently, I am part of Dr Afsar Mian's research group. Initially I had no experience with cloning and my skills in computational biology were quite basic. However, the mentoring support I have received at CRM has helped me fine-tune my skills. Overall, it has been a valuable learning experience for me, introducing me to contemporary molecular biology techniques and allowing me to work in an interdisciplinary field.
Can you share a bit about the project, you are currently involved?
So, our team is developing advanced gene editing therapies for beta-thalassaemia and sickle cell disease, common genetic disorders in Pakistan. Patients often face high costs and complications with current treatments. The project aims to fix the genetic errors that cause these conditions by creating a prime editing tool that targets and corrects the mutations to express the normal hemoglobin. Currently, my role in the project is to build prime editors and confirm their efficacy through various validation techniques.
What would be one piece of advice you would like to give to young people who want to build a career in science?
The
most fundamental piece of advice, I would like to give is to never stop asking questions and always remain curious.
Cultivating curiosity drives discovery and innovation. Build a
solid foundation in your chosen field of science, as this foundation will pave
the way for more advanced study and research. Science is thrilling yet challenging; embrace obstacles and failures—they are lessons in disguise. Persevere through setbacks; resilience ensures eventual success.
