THE TEAM

AJAZ UL H WANI

Principal Investigator/Scientist-D

Wellcome Trust-DBT Intermediate Fellow,

Ramanujan Fellow

PhD

National Centre for Biological Sciences-TIFR (NCBS-TIFR), Bangalore

Postdoctoral Fellow

Harvard University, USA

(2009-2014)

ahwani@kashmiruniversity.ac.in

Mohammad Abaas Dar

PhD Student (2020-Present)

Email ID: abassdar.scholar@kashmiruniversity.net

My research explores the role of epigenetic modifications in shaping chromatin structure and regulating genome function. Specifically, I investigate how two antagonistic histone modifications—H3K4me3 and H3K27me3—coordinate chromatin organization across multiple hierarchical levels. I aim to understand how alterations in these epigenetic marks impact chromatin architecture and influence gene expression. Modlualtions in levels of H3K4me3 are linked with Neuro Developmental Defects (NDD), while as Polycomb Group Proteins responsible for H3K27me3 are indispensable for proper developemnt of metazoan organisms.

Azka Khan

PhD Student (2023-Present)

My research focuses on genome wide profiling of Gastric Carcinoma in a Kashmiri cohort to identify different mutations. To develop a holistic understanding of the tumourigenesis we combine epidemiology, Next-Gen Sequencing and computational approaches.

Rakshandeh Shanthoo

PhD Student (2021-Present)

I am interested in characterizing a putative AAA+ chaperone – MoxR1 from _Mycobacterium tuberculosis_ . We make use of an integrated methodological approach of biochemistry, and structural proteomics (e.g., hydrogen deuterium exchange and chemical crosslinking coupled to mass spectrometry) to understand the molecular mechanism of Mtb MoxR1. Understanding the molecular principles of how MoxR1 modulates its substrates might provide new avenues for pharmacological interventions in Mtb related pathologies.

Wardah Shah

PhD Student (2024-present)

Multiscale organization of genome scales from nucleosomes to Topologically Associating Domains (TADs) to chromosome territories. TADs have emerged a units of higher order genome organization and function, but understanding the nature of their structure like spatial arrangemnt of proteins and DNA with respect to each other has emerged as a big challenge. I am developing "Physical Genomics" approach combing CRISPR Cas9 technology, genomics, structural biology methods and computational approaches to address this problem. I am using important developmental gene cluster, Bithorax complex (BX-C) as model locus for this purpose.

Shamsuddin Sheikh

PhD Student (2024-Present)

Email ID: shamsuddin.btscholar@kashmiruniversity.net

Phase seperation has emerged as a prominent phenomena to explain organization and function at sub-nuclear scale. An important factor driving the phase seperation is molecular crowding. The focus of my Ph.D. research work is understanding the role of molecular crowding on nuclear architecture. A strong emphasis of this work is upon how molecular crowding influences the spatial regulation of nuclear proteins and their relationship with 3D genome organization through integrated genomic and imaging based based methods. This study offers to provide mechanistic links between nuclear architecture and gene regulation.

Alumni of the lab

Dr Suhail Ahmad Sheikh, 2025

Identification of Protein-Protein Interaction Network associated with a Topologically Associated Domain (TAD) by in-Vitro CRISPR-Cas9 System and Mass Spectrometry

Current Position: Post Doctoral Scientist at Tata Institute of Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bengaulru, India.

Email ID: suhail.s@tigs.res.in

Dr Adfar Amin, 2024

Understanding the Pipsqueak mediated role of PcG Proteins in shaping Genome Organization

My work is to unravel how Polycomb group of proteins help in facilitating long range chromatin contacts especially TF dependent role of PcG on 3D chromatin organization.