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Al-Shifa Research Centre

 

Vision:

To be the centre of excellence for conducting world-class and creative bio-medical research activities to enhance the knowledge base and contribute towards improving the health care system and social advancement for the people of Pakistan.

Mission:

To emphasize rigorous research fundamentals while stimulating innovation and providing the highest quality research facilities in the institution.

Aim and Objectives

  • Work in coordination with the head of departments to identify areas of research
  • Provide operational support to the institution’s research activities/program and play a central role in facilitating the research outcome
  • Enhance the capacity building of trainees and students in academic research
  • Facilitating the faculty/postgraduate students to apply for research grants to HEC and other donor agencies
  • Find and explore the collaborations with national and international organizations
  • Establish and implement appropriate procedures and guidelines for monitoring research progress

Establishing a research centre shows that we really see value in bringing scientific evidence and also appreciate the importance of scientific culture. We believe that as long as we continue to work together as a team, we can give the very best of ourselves. We are dedicated to driving impact in critical spheres of health care to create impressive and meaningful breakthroughs and to fostering innovation through partnerships and team works. Al-Shifa Research Centre also prepares an annual research report covering the diverse array of all research activities done by the faculty, students, and trainees of Al-Shifa.

Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra
MBBS, MPH, FCPS (Comm. Med),
FRCP (Glasgow), MCPS-HPE
Director Research, Al-Shifa Research Centre
Professor of Public Health
E-mail: dr_sughra@yahoo.com


Team ASRC

Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra
Director Research
Dr. Marriam Suleman
Senior Research Officer
Dr. Asmaa Riaz
Senior Research Officer
Dr. Rasikh Arif
Senior Research Officer
Dr. Fatima Farahi
Research Officer
Dr. Amna Shahid
Research Officer
Dr. Ali Zeb Khan
Research Officer
Dr. Muhammad Hamza Rabbani
Research Officer
Dr. Azalfa Malik
Research Officer
Dr. Khizran Naseer
Research Officer
Dr. Urooj Arshad
Research Officer
Dr. Khizar Abbas
Research Officer
Dr. Momina
Research Officer
Dr. Noor Ul Ain
Research Officer
Dr. Noor Ul Huda
Research Officer
Dr. Aqsa Chaudhary
Research Officer
Dr. Muhammad Usman
Research Officer
Dr. Mahnoor Fatima
Research Officer
Dr. Muhammad Umer
Research Officer
Dr. Muhammad Usama
Research Officer
Dr. Nawal Alvi
Research Officer
Dr. Talia Mukhtar
Research Officer
Dr. Muhammad Naseem
Pharmacist
Sajjad Arif
Manager Finance
Saira Rehman
Accountant
Abdul Ali Farahi
Site Coordinator
Rehmat Ullah
Lab Technician
Amir Ud Din
Lab Technician
Saqib Minhas
Lab Technician
Dr. Janat Ullah
Pharmacist
Dr. Waliullah
Pharmacist
Aneela Tariq
Data Operator
Mazhra Saqib
Data Operator
Rukhsana Saddique
Study Nurse

Clinical Trials

Sr. no. Trial Name Sponsor Principal Investigator Status
1. A Phase III Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial in 18 Years of Age and Above to Determine the Safety and Efficacy of ZF2001, a Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine (CHO cell) for Prevention of COVID-19 Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd China Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra Completed
Published in The New England Journal of Medicine
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2202261
2. A Phase III, Randomized, Observer-blind, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of Seqirus Cell-Based Quadrivalent Subunit Influenza Virus Vaccine (QIVc) Compared to a Non-Influenza Vaccine when Administrated in Healthy Subjects aged 6 Months through 47 Months Seqirus Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra Completed
3. (ALVOEYE) :A Randomized, Double-masked, Parallel-group, Multicenter Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of AVT06 Compared with EU-Eylea® in Subjects with Neovascular (wet) Age-related Macular Degeneration Alvotech Swiss AG Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra Completed
4. A Multi-center, Randomized, Blinded, Placebo-controlled, Phase 3 Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Bivalent mRNA Vaccine (LVRNA021) as Booster in Participants Aged 18 Years and Older who Completed Primary/1 Booster Dose(s) of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination AIM Vaccine Co., Ltd.
Ningbo Rongan Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
LiveRNA Therapeutics Inc.
Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra On going
5. A Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of Bi-26 (strain of Bifidobacterium longum, B. infantis) supplementation versus placebo on weight gain in underweight infants Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra Completed
6. A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Bemnifosbuvir in High-Risk Outpatients with COVID-19 Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. USA Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra Completed
7. A phase III, Randomized, Comparator-Controlled, Double-Blind, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Immunogenicity, Safety and Lot to Lot Consistency of Three Lots of a PIKA Rabies Vaccine (Vero cell) for human use, freeze-dried in Healthy Adults using a Post-Exposure Prophylaxis schedule Yisheng Biopharma (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra On going

Projects

Sr. no. Project Name Sponsor Principal Investigator Status
1. A project by WHO to evaluate the preparedness of public health facilities in Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, for managing (potential) CBRN events and development of a standard national tool to evaluate hospital preparedness involving Emergency Departments (ED) as well as EMS providers’ readiness for CBRN events in Pakistan WHO EMRO, Pakistan Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra Completed
2. Post Evaluation Campaign field activity for Lot Quality Assessment Sampling (LQAS) as a part of Polio Eradication Program after National Immunization Day (NID) WHO EMRO, Pakistan Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra Completed

Clinical Trials Reports

Annual Research Reports

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Events

Collaborators

News & Events

  • Visit

    Dr.Amaan Ullah, Chairman/Director, White Ribbon Alliance, visiting Al-Shifa Clinical Trial Unit.

    Dr.Amaan Ullah, Chairman/Director, White Ribbon Alliance, visiting Al-Shifa Clinical Trial Unit. On 13-March-2024 the ASRC achieved another milestone by joining hands with White Ribbon Alliance Pakistan in a promising endeavor for "Women's Health and Well-Being". With the formalization of the Letter of Understanding (LoU), we are paving the way for enhanced collaboration and impactful research initiatives aimed at strengthening the health and well-being of women across Pakistan.

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    DRK visited ASRC

    Head of Clinical Operations DRK visited ASRC to enhance collaboration and foster seamless communication between the teams.

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    Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra, was honored to participate in international conference BioNanoCon2024

    On 29-February-2024 our team, led by Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra, Director Research, Al-Shifa Research Centre (ASRC), was honored to participate in the prestigious international conference as a speaker on innovation in Biomaterials & Nanotechnology - "BioNanoCon2024"

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    DRAP visited

    DRAP officials visited ASRC on September 3, 2024, for an inspection related to the renewal of the Clinical Trial Unit license.

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    ASRC Pakistan's fist clinical trial site

    ASRC on 01/Nov/2024 has become Pakistan's first clinical trial site to undergo a successful Good Clinical Practice (GCP) inspection by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). This landmark achievement underscores our commitment to excellence and adherence to global standards in clinical research.

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    Mr. Shabi Haider visited ASRC

    Mr. Shabi Haider, CEO/Director/Chairman, AAA/Triple A Alliance, Visited ASRC and met with Director Research, Prof. Dr. Ume Sughra, to discuss future collaboration on clinical trials.

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    Chinese Delegation

    Meeting with Chinese delegation on clinical trials.

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    Meeting with DRAP

    A meeting was held with DRAP CEO Dr. Asim Rauf and Director Pharmacy Service Division Dr. Obaidullah to discuss the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation clinical trial. Mr. Syed Munawar Ali, Head of Clinical Operations at IQVIA Solutions Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., Karachi, was also present.

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    Delegation from Gates Medical Research Institute, USA Visited ASRC

    On 06-March-2024 the two-member delegation from Gates Medical Research Institute, USA, Dr. Alexander Schmidt and Dr. Michael Dunne Visited Al-Shifa Research Centre. Dr. Michael Dunne, serving as the Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development, brings a wealth of expertise in overseeing clinical trials that align with the Gates Medical Research Institute. Meanwhile, Dr. Alexander Schmidt, the Head of Vaccine Development, has a distinguished background in leading clinical vaccine development programs. The delegation thoroughly explored our clinical trial unit's strengths, capabilities, facilities, and resources. Their interest in Pakistan, particularly in therapeutic areas like malnutrition, underscores their commitment to global health initiatives.

Al-Shifa Research Centre

Contact Us

Al-Shifa Research Centre,
Pakistan Institute Of Ophthalmology (PIO),
Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital,
Jhelum Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Phone: 051-5487821-5 Ext 372
Email: dr_sughra@yahoo.com