Professor Ashraf got his BS in Biochemistry from Iowa State University in 1988 and then an MS from the same university in 1991, and finally a doctorate from North Carolina State University in 1999. He has worked in biotech companies in North America for over 6 years in the areas of drug discovery and applied biotechnology. Additionally, he has over 19 years of experience in academia as a faculty member teaching Chemistry and Biochemistry courses, as well as establishing a vibrant and independent research program. His current research interests are in the areas of environmental remediation, applied biotechnology, enzyme engineering, and protein structure and function. He has strong research interests in exploiting novel bacterial isolates as well as peroxidase enzymes for environmental remediation. His lab has developed sensitive LC-MSMS-based assays to detect and identify various organic pollutants and their transformation products. He has also spearheaded the creation of two different undergraduate programs (Biochemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology) as well as MSc and PhD programs in Molecular Life Sciences. Dr. Ashraf has over 100 publications and holds 4 US patents. He is currently a professor and Acting Chair of Biology at Khalifa University, having previously served as an Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies for 2 years.
