muhammad shoaib akhtar

Muhammad Shoaib Akhtar

Affiliations

Contact information

Web presence

Phone number

Cell: (587) 917-2646

For media enquiries, contact

Submit a media request

Background

Credentials

Fellow, Institute of Biomedical Science, 2022

Educational Background

PhD Genetics, The University of Tokyo, 2022

Biography

Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Akhtar is a Scientist at the Department of Anthropology and Archeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary. He completed his PhD studies in Human Genetics at the University of Tokyo and has been awarded prestigious Fellowship of The University of Tokyo. He is also a Fellow of Institute of Biomedical Science of Great Britain and a Member of Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Ireland. He has been awarded VPR Postdoctoral Excellence Award at University of Calgary. Dr. Akhtar has received his NIH-funded postdoctoral training in molecular neuroscience at University of California Davis.

Dr. Akhtar has discovered role of balancing selection in human olfactory receptor repertoire. He recently led the investigation to understand olfactory loss in COVID-19 disease. His other works includes investigation of molecular and anthropological signatures in genetic diseases. He has published a number of papers in various journals including Anthropological Science, IJMS, Primates and Scientific Reports etc., and serves as an Academic Editor at PLoS ONE. His research interests include chemosensory receptors, natural selection, olfactory dysfunction, and rare diseases.

Awards

  • VPR Postdoctoral Excellence Award, University of Calgary. 2025
  • Todai Fellowship, The University of Tokyo. 2019