My name is Azam Ali Sher, and I am currently a dual major Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology (CMIB) & Environmental Sciences and Integrative Toxicology Sciences (EITS) at Michigan State University. By profession, I am a certified veterinarian and infectious diseases molecular epidemiologist. My long-term goal is to establish an independent research lab that focuses on investigating emerging enteric infections, disease pathogenesis, mechanism of acquiring and spreading antimicrobial resistance and translate these findings into novel therapeutics. Considering the emergence and global spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among bacterial pathogens against life-saving drugs that have become a major challenge for public health and clinical settings, my Ph.D. research focuses on understanding the gut microbiome’s mechanistic role in the emergence and transmission of AMR in commensals and pathogenic bacteria and exploring different dynamics of the gut microbiota pre and post-antibiotic treatment. 

I am currently working on building an in-vivo animal-based system that mimics the human gut to address this complex scientific question by integrating different Omics and synthetic biology techniques. This study will lead us to uncover different drug-microbiome-host interactions and find some solutions to halt AMR in the gut and environment. I believe that scientific research is a combination of passion, perseverance and strong collaboration, and if you think I can contribute to anything that benefits humanity and future generations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. 

Infectious Diseases investigator with experience of using modern molecular, epidemiologic, and bioinformatics tools. A well-versed and independent researcher, mentor, and team leader with an aim to solve complex emerging public health issues such as emergence and spread of lethal infections, and antimicrobial resistance.

I love to play cricket, badminton & football, watch movies, and travel worldwide-aiming to finish check-in on all seven continents soon. Tea and talk with friends and fellows is also my favorite activity whenever I get some free time from research.