..:: University Of Health Sciences Lahore ::..

The department of microbiology is an essential part of basic medical sciences at University of Health Sciences. It consists of faculty with expertise in all disciplines of medical microbiology i.e. Bacteriology, Parasitology and Mycology. The courses in microbiology are designed to equip the students with state-of-the-art knowledge, practical skills relevant to medical Microbiology. It is envisaged that these efforts will go a long way to produce medical teachers of high quality with strong hand on experience and necessary skills to initiate and carry out teaching as well as research of internationally accepted standards.

The department of Microbiology offers:

Prof. Dr. Abdul Hannan
Professor of Microbiology
MBBS, DCP, Dp. Bact, M.R.C.Path, F.R.C.Path
E-mail : microbiology@uhs.edu.pk

Full time 2 years course for M.Phil leading to Ph.D programme in Medical Microbiology.

The course in Medical Microbiology is designed to train the students in four major disciplines i.e. Bacteriology, Virology, Parasitology and Mycology.

The course in Medical Microbiology also covers Anaerobic Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Water Microbiology and Control of Hospital Acquired Infections.

The course specially emphasizes on most prevalent diseases in the country i.e. Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Cholera etc.

Dental graduates are trained with special emphasis on Oral Microbiology.

The whole course consists of intensive practical training to make the students competent diagnostic microbiologists and confident teachers.

For the 2nd year, a research topic selected by the student (and duly approved by Advanced Studies & Research Board) to indulge in and a thesis is submitted for defence before an appropriate committee of local and foreign examiners. Throughout the course, the student is subjected to regular internal evaluation.

At the successful end of 2 year MPhil program the bright and deserving candidates may be offered to undergo one or more years of advance research of his/her topic to be eligible for the award of PhD degree, if the research work is approved by a team of highly qualified and reputable teachers/researchers in the filed, including at least two external examiners from technically advanced countries.

Department of Microbiology also trains medical technologists for Masters program (MT) in Microbiology.

Aims and Objectives

To provide a platform that encourages critical thinking, ethical responsibility and professional learning and mutual cooperation amongst staff and students. The main idea is to produce future microbiologists and teachers.

To facilitate its students in performing research of national and international significance and to provide them with the infrastructure and the technical and intellectual support they require achieving these goals.

To operate efficiently within the University Management structures.

To find way to involve local industry for Pharmaceutical research.

To help at National level in case of any calamities. The students and staff of Microbiology department worked voluntarily in the mobile hospitals of UHS for IDPs at the UNHRC camps in Mardan.

Working

The proposed M.Phil program will be practical and research oriented. The M.Phil program will be full time, in house training course with lectures, tutorials, demonstrations and presentations. The candidate will be subjected to continuous internal evaluation and their progress and attendance will be regularly monitored. The services of national and international examiners will be utilized for final evaluation of the candidates and their research thesis.

Facilities

Department of Microbiology is fully equipped with the following State of the Art Equipment with adequate quantity of consumables and reagent kits.

BACTEC 9120 for Blood culture

BACTEC MGIT 960 for detection and susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Automated Media Preparation & Pouring station.

State of Art Autoclave (Astell UK).

Biological safety cabinet Class II.

Laminar Flow Cabinet.

Apparatus for Food Microbiology

Ultra low Temperature (-80�C) Freezer for long term preservation of Microbiological Isolates.

In addition to above mentioned state of the art equipments, the department has ancillary facilities necessary for diagnostic as well research activities.

Future Plans

Establishment of Salmonella Reference Center.

Establishment of Honey Research Unit.

Establishment of Reference Center for Tuberculosis.

Provincial/National Quality Control Center.

Reference Center for Cholera.

Clonal Biotyping of clinical isolates.

Research Activities

Department of Microbiology has state of the art diagnostic and research facilities that make the department fully capable of giving diagnostic service to any of the hospitals.

Department is capable of performing all sorts of research in Clinical Microbiology. Currently department is working actively on different natural herbal products;

Honey, Two research papers on antibacterial activity of Honey against Typhoidal Salmonellae have already been published in Indexed National Journals.

Kalongi, A research paper addressing the antibacterial activity of Kalongi has also been published in Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad.

Propolis and Garlic for their antibacterial activity against clinically important multi-drug resistant micro-organisms.

Anaerobic Microbiology. Three research projects have been completed in this regard and manuscript writing is in progress. Department is also working on Tuberculosis and two projects have already been completed.

Research Projects Completed (M.Phil Microbiology)

In vitro activity of Manuka Honey against clinical isolates of typhoidal salmonellae.

Rapid Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using BACTEC MGIT 960.

Pattern of periodontal microorganisms in patients who experience pre-term delivery.

In vitro activity of KALONGI against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Carriage rate of group B Streptococcus in pregnant women.

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Porphyromonas gingivalis in Periodontitis.

Susceptibility pattern of black pigmented anaerobic periodontal pathogens to Propolis extract.

Rapid identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in CSF using BACTEC MGIT 960.

Susceptibility pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis against second line anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Association of oral Candidal carriage with dental caries in children.

Research Projects Completed (M.Sc MT)

Frequency of extended spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes (ESBL) in the clinical isolates of Enterobateriaceae.

Evaluation of garlic activity against MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis by MIGT 960.

Frequency of carbapenem resistance and carbapenemases in Enterobacteriaceae from clinical isolates.

Susceptibility profiles of new anti staphylococcal agents � an in vitro study.

Research Projects Ph.D (Ongoing)

Screening of anti-bacterial potential of Pakistani Honey against Salmonella typhi.

Anti-bacterial activity of honey against MRSA systemic infection mouse model.

Research Projects M.Phil (Ongoing)

Antibacterial activity of Onion against clinical isolates of Vibrio cholerae.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility pattern of Helicobacter pylori isolated from gastric biopsies.

Anti typhoid activity of honey in mouse model.

Antibacterial activity of Rose against the clinical isolates of Salmonella typhi.

Antibacterial activity of Propolis extract on clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori.

Research Projects M.Sc MT (Ongoing)

In vitro antibacterial activity of crude leaf extract of mango (Mangnifera indica).

Susceptibility pattern of clinical isolates of Salmonella typhi against ethanolic extract of Garlic.

Metallo-beta-lactamase producing Pseudomonas aeuroginosa - potent enemy.

Bacteriological status of drinking water from 100 families of Lahore by membrane filtration technique.

Prevalence, biotyping and susceptibility pattern of coagulase negative Staphylococci isolated from cases of neonatal septicemia in tertiary care hospital.

Antifungal activity of natural products against clinical isolates of Candida spp.

Achievements

For the last few years the so called "Gastro" had been in the news without anybody resolving the issue precisely. The Department took the initiative and resolved one such major outbreak at Mirpur Khas and proved it to be an outbreak of Vibrio cholerae biotype El Tor Serotype Ogawa. This has been documented and appeared on Internet.

Scientific Collaboration

The Department of Microbiology is collaborating with following institutions:

Forman Christian College University, Lahore.

Government College University, Lahore.

Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore (Dr. Ghulam Qadir Fayyaz).

Punjab University Lahore. (Prof. Dr. Abdul Rauf Shakoori).

Site Developed and Maintained By IT Department, U.H.S