Phase 4 Projects

Pakistan-US Science and Technology Cooperation Program
Phase 4 (2009 Deadline)

Projects Selected for Joint Funding

The following projects are being funded on the Pakistani side by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and
on the US side by the Department of State:

Carbazole and Fluorene-Based Polymeric and Molecular Materials for Optoelectronic Applications:
Synthesis, Spectroscopic Studies, Device Fabrication, and Characterization
Kevin D. Belfield, University of Central Florida
Aamer Saeed, Quaid-i-Azam University

Characterization and Utilization of Gossypium arboreum as a Source of Resistance Against Begomoviruses that are a
Threat to the Cotton Crop in Pakistan and the United States
Peng W. Chee, University of Georgia
Shahid Mansoor, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Removal of Arsenic from Drinking Water Using Iron Ores as Low-Cost Reactive Absorbent Media
James Farrell, University of Arizona
Khadjia Qureshi, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology

A Molecular Approach to Prevent Hereditary Blindness in Pakistan
John Gottsch, The Johns Hopkins University
Tayyab Husnain, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology; Nadeem Butt and Haiba Kaul, Allama Iqbal Medical College; and Z.A. Qazi, Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust Hospital

Bioactive Genes and Peptides/Proteins from Medicinal Plants
Leslie M. Hicks, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Amer Jamil, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Establishment of a Center of Excellence to Conduct and Promote Construction Safety Research, Education, and Training in Pakistan
Jimmie Hinze, University of Florida, and Salman Azhar, Auburn University
Rafiq M. Choudhry, National University of Sciences and Technology

Inventory of the Plants of Pakistan
Peter C. Hoch, Missouri Botanical Garden
Syed I. Ali, University of Karachi

Capacity Building in Disaster Risk Assessment and Management Through Training and Research in Geo Informatics
and Hydrometeorological Hazard Risk Reduction Strategies
Yang Hong, University of Oklahoma
Umar Khattak, National University of Sciences and Technology

Integration of Geological, Geochemical, and Remote Sensing Data for Finding Source Rocks for Gold in the Northern Areas of Pakistan
Shuhab D. Khan, University of Houston
Mohammad Tahir Shah, University of Peshawar

A Hybrid Solar Water Heating System Using CO₂ as Working Fluid
Sumathy Krishnan and Samee Khan, North Dakota State University
Nasrullah Khan, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Using Integrated Secure Wireless Sensor and Vehicular Networks
Hafiz Malik, University of Michigan, Dearborn
Muhammad Tahir, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore

Water, Sanitation, Health, and Hygiene Interventions in a Northern Pakistani Village
Mark Miller, National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Center
Khalil Ahmad, Karakoram International University, Gilgit

Building Capabilities for the Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of Photosynthesis and Oxidative Stress Gene Expression in Halophytes with Potential Use as Nonconventional crops
Brent L. Nielsen, Brigham Young University
M. Ajmal Khan, University of Karachi

Solid Waste Management for Bioenergy Production
William J. Orts, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
Romana Tabassum, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

New Approaches of Estrus Synchronization to Improve Reproductive Performance in Dairy Animals
J. Richard Pursley, Michigan State University
Nasim Ahmad, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Small Scale Sewage Treatment and Wastewater Reuse System for Pakistan
Rumana Riffat, George Washington University
Safia Ahmed, Quaid-i-Azam University

Total Solution-Based Organic-Inorganic Solar Cells for Enhanced Efficiency and Stability
S. Ismat Shah, University of Delaware
Salamat Ali, GC University, Lahore

Standardization and Quality Assurance of Medicinal Plants
Allan Showalter, Ohio University
Zabta Khan Shinwari, Quaid-i-Azam University

Establishment of Functional and Nutraceutical Food Research Section at the National Institute of
Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Hang Xiao, University of Massachusetts
Masood Sadiq Butt, University of Agriculture Faisalabad

The following projects were funded on both sides by the Department of State

With funds on the Pakistani side passed through and supervised by the Higher Education Commission:

Establishing a Biostatistical Consulting Center
Hafiz Anwar Ahmad, Jackson State University
Talat Naseer Pasha, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Prevalence, Species Distribution, and Trends in Resistance of Fungi Responsible for Invasive Mycoses in Pakistan
Mary E. Brandt, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Afia Zafar, Aga Khan University

Arthropod Functional Genomics Initiative: Building Community Resources for Animal Health
Shahid Karim, University of Southern Mississippi
Zafar Iqbal and Muhammad Sohail Sajid, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Rapid Detection of Infection and Drug Resistance in Tuberculosis Patients by Multiplex Analysis
Imran Khan, University of California, Davis
Waheed Akhtar, Punjab University and Allama Iqbal Medical College

Characterization of Mycoplasma gallisepticum Isolates from Pakistan and Their Use in Production of Diagnostic Antigen and Vaccine
Mazhar Khan, University of Connecticut
Masood Rabbani, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Pakistan
Aleem Siddiqui, University of California, San Diego
Hajra Sadia, National University of Sciences and Technology

With funds on the Pakistani side passed to the recipient institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology:

Enhancing the Minimally Invasive Surgery Skills of General Surgeons and Allied Surgical Specialists at the National Level
Ronald C. Merrell, Virginia Commonwealth University
Asif Zafar Malik, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi

Capacity Building, Epidemiology, and Risk Assessment of Endemic and Emerging Tick-Borne Disease in KPK and FATA, Pakistan
Mike Teglas, University of Nevada, Reno
Khalid Khan, Veterinary Research Institute, Peshawar