Dr. Samina Noorali Assanie-Shivji

Dr. Assanie-Shivji's research focuses on studying the effect of microRNA on Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Influenza A Virus (Flu) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections.

Biography

Dr. Assanie-Shivji's Ph.D thesis work was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Shahid Pervez, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. She studied immunological aspects of 99 T-cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (T-NHL) cases from Pakistan; correlating the immunohistochemical aspects of the disease with the molecular level by studying T-cell receptor (TCR) and Immunoglobulin Heavy (IgH) chain gene rearrangements and their association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type-I (HTLV-I) infections.

As a post-doctoral fellow under the supervision of Dr. Juergen Vielkind, in the Department of Cancer Endocrinology at BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Dr. Assanie-Shivji identified the role of growth differentiation factor 15 (gdf15) in the development of the normal prostate during early stages of embryogenesis and in prostate cancer in a transgenic mouse model, 12T-7s.

After completing her post-doctoral work, she joined the Department of Biology at Claflin University as a Research Assistant Professor in October 2006. As a Research Assistant Professor, Dr. Assanie-Shivji established and started the functioning of Molecular Virology Laboratory. She worked on EXPORT project-NIH funded grant, completed the analysis of HIV-1 viral load on HAART therapy individuals and also studied its association with HHV-8 (KSHV), the causative agent of Kaposi Sarcoma, as well as found association of Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus I/II (HTLV-I and HTLV-II).

As an Assistant Professor and currently as an Associate professor in the Department of Biology at Claflin University, Dr. Assanie-Shivji's research focuses on studying the effect of microRNA on Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Influenza A Virus (Flu) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections.

Dr. Assanie-Shivji also teaches General Biology I and II (freshman), Cell Biology (junior), Junior Biology and Honors Seminar (junior), Undergraduate Research (junior) and Introduction to Immunology (junior/seniors) at the undergraduate level. At the undergraduate level she has taught Molecular Biology (junior). At the graduate level, she has taught Biotechnology Seminar II-IV, Special Topics in Biotechnology and Immunology and Pathobiology. She is an academic advisor for several undergraduate and graduate students, thesis advisor/proposal advisor for both undergraduate and graduate students, and also serves as a committee member for graduate students thesis and undergraduate student’s thesis/proposals.

Dr. Assanie-Shivji's lab is studying the effect of different human microRNAs which are up-regulated and down-regulated in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Influenza A Virus (Flu) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections, in vitro tissue culture model. She believes that the microRNAs could be used as potential candidates for treating these infections.

Education

EDUCATION

Degree:

• Ph.D. in Microbiology: University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
• M. Phil. in Microbiology: University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
• M.Sc. in Microbiology: University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
• B.Sc. in Biological Sciences: University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Diploma:

• Medical Technologist, MT: Michigan State University, Michigan, USA.

• Medical Technologist, MT (ASCP): American Society of Clinical Pathologists, USA.
• Registered Technologist, RT (CSLT): Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists, Canada.

 

CERTIFICATION

• CITI: Human Subjects Research-Biomedical Basic Course (online)
• NIH: Clinical Research Training for Human Subject (online)
• Molecular Laboratory Diagnostics, Michigan State University, Medical Technology Program, Lansing, MI, USA.
• Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS), BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
• Injury Prevention, Employee Wellness & Safety, BC Cancer Research Centre – PHSA, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
• Canadian Council on Animal Care, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
• Chemical Laboratory Safety, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
• Laboratory Biological Safety, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
• Radionuclide Safety and Methodology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. Canada.

Research Interests

RESEARCH

• Detection of viruses in infected patients by PCR and qRT-PCR
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1).
• Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and miRNA profiling in HCV infected liver cell line.
• Hepatitis B Virus (HBV).
• Human Herpes Virus Type-8 (HHV-8).
• Human T-Lymphotrophic Virus Type-I and II (HTLV-I and HTLV-II).
• GB Virus C (GBV-C).
• Influenza A strains: H1N1 and H3N2.

Activities and Honors

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

• The James E. Hunter Award for Excellence in Teaching and Career Development, Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC, USA.
• Post-Doctoral work supported by grants from Genome British Columbia, and Health Canada, Canada.
• Post Graduate Trainee Award Silver Medal, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
• Leukaemia Research Fund (UK) - Grant for Ph.D research work.
• Aga Khan University Grants Committee Scholarship for Ph.D research work, Karachi, Pakistan.
• Talat-u-Sabah Science and Technology Scholarship for excellent academic performance for M.Phil, Karachi, Pakistan.

Recent Publications

• Samina Noorali, Muhammad Sheraz, Shaniqua S. Tisdale, Stacey S. Dallas, Lauren M. Simons, Raquel S. White, Verlie A. Tisdale. Effect of Differentially Expressed MicroRNAs 602 and 323-5p on Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1b Viral Load in Infected Liver Cells. Journal of Infectious Disease and Therapy, 2014; 2(3): doi:10.4172/2332-0877.1000138.
• Khokhar A, Noorali S, Sheraz M, Mahalingham K, Pace DG, Khanani MR Bagasra O. Computational analysis to predict functional role of hsa-miR-3065-3p as an antiviral therapeutic agent for treatment of triple infections: HCV, HIV-1 and HBV. Libyan Journal of Medicine, 2012; 7:19774.
• Noorali S,Pace G, Bagasra O. Of Lives and Livers: Emerging Responses to the Hepatitis C Virus. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2011; 5(1):001-017. (Review Article).
• Hakim ST, Noorali S, Ashby M, Bagasra A, Kazmi SU, Bagasra O. Seroprevalence of Co-infection of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Genotypes among Adult Female Population of Karachi, Pakistan. British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 2010; 3(3):a335
• Kanak M, Alseiari M, Balasubramanian P, Addanki K, Aggarwal M, Noorali S, Kalsum A, Mahalingam K, Pace G, Panasik N, Bagasra O. Triplex-forming MicroRNAs Form Stable Complexes With HIV-1 Provirus and Inhibit its Replication. Applied Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Morphology, 2010; 18(6):532-545.
• Noorali S, Rotar IC, Lewis C, Pestaner JP, Pace DG, Seson A, Bagasra O. Role of HERV-W Syncytin-1 in Placentation and Maintenance of Human Pregnancy. Applied Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Morphology, 2009; 17(4):319-328.
• Noorali S, Hakeem S.T, McLean D, Kazmi S.U, Bagasra O. Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Genotype D in Females in Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 2008; 2(5):373-378.
• Noorali S, Kurita T, Woolcock B, Ruiz de Algara T, Lo M, Paralkar V, Hoodless P. A, Vielkind J. Dynamics of Expression of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 during Normal Prostate and Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia Development in the Mouse. Differentiation, 2007; 75(4):325-336.
• Noorali S, Nasir MI, Pervez S. Characterization of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphomas (AILT) and Its Association with Epstein- Barr Virus (EBV) in Pakistani Patients. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 2005; 15(7):404-408.
• Noorali S, Pervez S, Yaqoob N, Moatter T, Nasir MI, Haroon S, Hodges E, Smith JL. Prevalence and Characterization of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma and Its Association with Epstein-Barr virus in Pakistani Patients. Path Res Pract, 2004;200(10):669-679.
• Noorali S, Pervez S, Moatter T, Soomro IN, Kazmi SU, Nasir MI, Smith JL. Characterization of T-cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Its Association with Epstein-Barr virus in Pakistani Patients. Leuk Lymphoma, 2003; 44(5):807-813.
• Yaqoob N, Noorali S, Nasir MI, Pervez S. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Presenting as Cutaneous Lesions. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 2003; 13(1):29-32.
• Noorali S, Yaqoob N, Nasir MI, Moatter T, Pervez S. Prevalence of Mycosis Fungoides and Its Association with EBV and HTLV-1 in Pakistani Patients. Pathol Oncol Res, 2002; 8(3):194-199.
• Soomro IN, Noorali S, Aziz SA, Muzaffar S, Pervez S, Hussainy AS, Moatter T. Gastric Carcinoma with Lymphoid Stroma: Association with Epstein Barr Virus Genome Demonstrated by PCR. J Pak Med Assoc, 1999; 49(12):305-307.

Recent Presentations

POSTER PRESENTATION 1. Britney M. White,James Baldwin, Samina Noorali. “Identification of Common Human miRNAs in Infected Influenza A Patients.” South Carolina Academy of Science Annual Meeting, April 16, 2016. Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC.

2. Britney M. White,James Baldwin, Samina Noorali. “Identification of Common Human miRNAs in Infected Influenza A Patients.” Student Research Day, April 2, 2016. Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC. 3. Britney M. White,James Baldwin, Samina Noorali. “Identification of Common Human miRNAs in Infected Influenza A Patients.” McNair Scholars Symposium,March 30-April 2, 2016. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. 4. Samina Noorali,Shaniqua Tisdale, Stacey Dallas, Lauren Simons, Raquel S. White, Verlie Tisdale. “Effect of Differentially Expressed MicroRNAs 602 and 323-5p on Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1b Viral Load in Infected Liver Cells.” American Society for Microbiology, 114th General Meeting, May 17-20, 2014. Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 5. Shaniqua Tisdale, Gloria McCutcheon, Samina Noorali. “The Effect of MicroRNA 187 on Hepatitis C Virus Replication in Infected Liver Cells.” Seventh Annual James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture. April 11, 2014. Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.A.

6. Sian Ramlal, Samina Noorali, Omar Bagasra. “Silencing of HLA Transcripts Expression via RNAi in Jurkat T- Cell Line.” ABCRMS 10th Anniversary Conference. November 11-14, 2010. Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A. 7. Sian Ramlal, Samina Noorali, Omar Bagasra. “Inhibition of HLA Gene Expression in Jurkat T-Cell line via RNA Interference.”Communicating Science Conference 2010. November 3-4, 2010. Hyatt Regency Greenville, Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.A. 8.Samina Noorali, Omar Bagasra. “The Role of microRNA In Relationship to the Protection against the Human Papillomavirus.” Fifth Annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities: Focus on Women's Health. May 27-28, 2010. University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.