Dr. Farha Naz | Drug Repurposing | Women Researcher Award
Research Scientist at University of Virginia | United States
Dr. Farha Naz is a dynamic and accomplished structural biologist and immunologist, currently serving as a Research Scientist at the University of Virginia, USA. With a Ph.D. in Structural Biology from Jamia Millia Islamia, she has cultivated a distinguished research career focused on infectious diseases, host immunity, and vaccine development. Her postdoctoral work spans prestigious institutions including ICMR and UVA, and she has contributed to impactful translational research on Clostridioides difficile infection, tuberculosis, and host-pathogen interactions. Dr. Naz is also a frequent corresponding author and editorial contributor, demonstrating her leadership and scientific vision in global biomedical research.
Publication Profile
Google Scholar
Education
Dr. Farha Naz earned her Ph.D. in Structural Biology from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, graduating top of her batch in pre-PhD coursework. She completed her M.Sc. in Biotechnology in from Jamia Hamdard. Her B.Sc. from the University of Allahabad was marked by academic distinction, graduating. She completed her 12th and 10th at RDBIC, Allahabad. Her educational journey reflects academic excellence.
Experience
Dr. Naz began her academic career as a Guest Faculty at the Centre of Bioinformatics, University of Allahabad. She later served as a Temporary Assistant Professor at SHUATS, Allahabad. she held a prestigious ICMR-Centenary Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Pathology-ICMR in New Delhi. She then joined the University of Virginia as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health. Since February she has been a Research Scientist in the same department, contributing to cutting-edge immunological and translational research in infectious diseases.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Farha Naz has received multiple academic honors throughout her career. She was awarded the Junior Scientist Award by the Council of Science & Technology, U.P. She graduated as the Faculty Topper of her B.Sc. batch. She has qualified prestigious national fellowships and exams including the CSIR-UGC Fellowship in December, GATE in February, and the CSIR-UGC NET in June. These achievements highlight her consistent academic performance and her early recognition as a promising scientific talent. Her excellence continues through her high-impact research outputs and leadership roles in translational science.
Research Focus
Dr. Naz’s research centers on host-pathogen interactions, mucosal immunology, and vaccine development, particularly against Clostridioides difficile and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. She investigates the mechanisms by which pathogens evade host immunity and how immune modulation can be leveraged for therapeutic interventions. Her work explores innate immune responses, cytokine signaling, GPCR modulation, and the role of sphingolipids in infection. She has contributed significantly to understanding vaccine adjuvants, humoral responses in recurrent infections, and therapeutic strategies involving immune and nervous system crosstalk. Her translational research aims to advance precision immunotherapy and infectious disease control globally.
Publication Top Notes
Investigation of molecular mechanism of recognition between citral and MARK4: A newer therapeutic approach to attenuate cancer cell progression
Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4: structure, function, and regulation
Elucidation of dietary polyphenolics as potential inhibitor of microtubule affinity regulating kinase 4: in silico and in vitro studies
Designing new kinase inhibitor derivatives as therapeutics against common complex diseases: structural basis of microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) inhibition
PKR-inhibitor binds efficiently with human microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4
Battling COVID-19 pandemic: sphingosine-1-phosphate analogs as an adjunctive therapy?
Cloning, Expression, Purification and Refolding of Microtubule Affinity-Regulating Kinase 4 Expressed in Escherichia coli
Ubiquitin-associated domain of MARK4 provides stability at physiological pH
Atypical PKC phosphorylates microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 in vitro
Sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling in Leishmania donovani infection in macrophages
Evaluation of human microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 inhibitors: fluorescence binding studies, enzyme, and cell assays
Human microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 is stable at extremes of pH