Muhammad Zahid, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health

University of Nebraska Medical Center
College of Public Health

Professional Summary

• Jan 2011-present Research Assistant Professor, Environmental, Agricultural and  Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
• Nov 2010-Jan 2011 Research Assistant Professor, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
• Dec 2008-Nov 2010 Senior Research Associate, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE,USA.
• Dec 2005-Dec 2008 Research Associate, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.\
• March 2002-Dec 2005 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
• Dec 2000-March 2002 Post Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, ZheiJiang University, Hangzhou, China.
• Jan 2000-Dec 2000 Research Assistant, International Center for Chemical Sciences, H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
• Jan 1995-Dec 1999 Research Fellow, International Center for Chemical Sciences, H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Education

• PhD Organic chemistry, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 2002
• MSc Analytical chemistry, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 1994
• BSc Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Karachi University, Karachi, Pakistan, 1990

Research Interests

Inter disciplinary chemical and biochemical approaches and techniques to focus on the etiology of human cancers initiation mechanism, leukemia and Parkinson’s disease with major focus:

• Understand the mechanism of cancer initiating steps by natural and synthetic estrogens.
• Development of chemo preventive agent to block breast and prostate cancers initiating steps.
• Development of biomarkers by applying target/profile oriented metabolomic methods.
• Modulation of metabolic profile by using nutritional antioxidant and phytochemicals.

Ad-hoc Reviewer

• Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry
• Journal of Carbohydrate Polymers
• Journal of Chemical Society of Pakistan
• Cancer Prevention Research

Selected Publications

• M. Zahid, L. Yang, M. Saeed, E. Rogan and E. Cavalieri: (2011) Formation of depurinating adducts after reactions of ortho-quinones derived from dopamine with DNA. A unifying mechanism of disease initiation. IUBMB Life, 63, 1087-1093.
• M. Zahid, M. Saeed, E. Rogan and E. Cavalieri: (2011) Resveratrol and N-acetylcysteine blocks the cancer initiation step in MCF-10F cells. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 50(1), 78-85.
• B Hinrichs, M. Zahid*(Equal contribution), M. Saeed, M. F. Ali, E. Rogan and E. Cavalieri:  (2011) Formation of depurinating adducts after reactions of ortho-quinones derived from dopamine with DNA. A unifying mechanism of disease initiation. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 3, 276-281.
• M. Zahid, M. Saeed, M.F. Ali, E. Rogan and E. Cavalieri: (2010) N-acetylcysteine blocks formation of cancer-initiating estrogen-DNA adducts in cells. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 49(3), 392-400.
• S. Singh, M. Zahid*(Equal contribution), M. Saeed, N.W. Gaikwad, J. L. Meza, D. Chakravarti, E. Rogan and E. Cavalieri: (2009) NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 Arg139Trp and Pro187Ser polymorphism imbalance estrogen metabolism towards DNA adduct formation in human mammary epithelial cells. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 117, 56-66.
• F. Lu, M. Zahid, M. Saeed, E. Rogan and E. Cavalieri: (2008) Resveratrol prevents estrogen-DNA adduct formation and neoplastic transformation in MCF-10F cells. Cancer Prev. Res., 1(2), 135-145.
• M. Zahid, F. Lu, M. Saeed, N.W. Gaikwad, E. Rogan and E. Cavalieri.  (2007) Inhibition of catechol-O-methyltransferase increases estrogen-DNA adducts formation. Free Radical Biology & Medicine. 43(11), 1534-1540.
• M. Zahid, M. Saeed, E. Kohli, Rogan and E. Cavalieri: (2006) Greater reactivity of Estradiol-3,4-quinone versus Estradiol-2,3-quinone with DNA in the formation of depurinating adducts. Implications for tumor initiating activity. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 19, 164-172.

Professional Affiliations

• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (2002-2008)
• American Society of Pharmacognosy (Since 2007)
• Pakistan Chemical Society (Since 1994)