Dr. Shahzad Ahmad Pandith

Dr. Shahzad obtained his Masters in Botany from University of Kashmir, Srinagar. Later, he completed his PhD in 2017 from CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu specializing in Molecular Biology and Secondary Metabolite Pathway Engineering. His research focused on unravelling biosynthetic pathways of specialized metabolites in different medicinal plants. Key contributions include studying Type III plant polyketide synthases in Rheum emodi for anthraquinone and flavonoid production, besides active involvement in characterizing genes for picroside and withanolide biosynthesis respectively in Picrorhiza kurrooa and Withania somnifera. He also worked on investigation of the camptothecin pathway in Nothapodytes nimmoniana through transcriptome analysis. Additionally, he participated in expanding the genetic base of Pelargonium graveolens for commercial cultivation, and in improving Grewia asiatica fruit quality. In Polygonaceae, he correlated ploidy with metabolite accumulation in Rumex nepalensis and assessed chemo-diversity in R. emodi. After PhD, Dr. Shahzad received the “INSPIRE Faculty” (2017) and later the “SERB Research Scientist” (2023) fellowship awards, both from DST, Govt. of India and served the Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar in the said capacities since April 2017. In June 2024, he joined the Department of Botany, Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal as Assistant Professor.