Samra Kousar began her professional career as a Research Officer at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), Lahore, in 2008, following the completion of her M.Sc. from the Institute of Chemistry at the University of the Punjab, Lahore. Her post was subsequently upgraded to Research Officer cum Lecturer in January 2010.

She received training in DNA genetic analysis for Fragment analysis and DNA Sequencing Analysis, as well as various related techniques, at the DNA core facility of CEMB, a high-throughput facility in Pakistan. Over the years, she provided assistance to researchers within the center and across the country in data analysis, troubleshooting, SNP Analysis, and Fragment Analysis.

She earned her Ph.D. from CEMB, with the title of her Ph.D. thesis being “Case-Control Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Association Studies with SNP Variants of Potential Candidate Genes in the Pakistani Population.” During her MPhil degree, she gained working experience in the Genetic Diseases lab at CEMB, where she conducted research on hearing impairment and screened various loci that are prevalent in the Pakistani population.

During her Ph.D. studies, she was awarded the IRSIP scholarship and served as a Research Fellow for six months in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. She engaged in collaborative work on ‘Common and rare genetic variants in respiratory health: the UK Biobank Lung Exome Variant Evaluation (UK BiLEVE) consortium’ with the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Leicester, UK.

Samra Kousar also successfully completed a project awarded by HEC (NRPU #8460) titled “Study of the Association of Potential Candidate SNPs Residing on Chromosome 14 with Inherited Emphysema in the Local Population in 2021,” where she served as the Principal Investigator (PI). She has a keen interest in the study of human genetics, population genetics, especially in the field of pulmonary complex traits, using next-generation sequencing technology. Additionally, she is interested in establishing various screening test facilities for genetic diseases at CEMB. Beyond her professional responsibilities, she has served as the Joint Secretary of the Congress of Molecular Biology, organizing various scientific seminars, conferences, and training workshops.

Selected Publications:

• “Risk loci for Chronic Obstructive Disease reside on Chromosome 14: a Case-Control study on the Pakistani population”. Peerzada Fawad Ullah Jan, Samra Kousar, Atif Mahmood, Sarooj Nadeem, Kausar Malik, Waqas Safir, Nodia Shujaat, Fahim Ullah Khan, Mariam Shahid: Journal of Ayub Medical College 2023 Apr-Jun;35(2):203-209.Doi: 10.55519/JAMC-02-11430.
• Single nucleotide polymorphism on chromosome 14 associated with emphysema in local Pakistani population S Kousar, M Shahid CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY 52 (8), 1039-1039
• Aslam R, Shahid M, Bano I, Ayoub M, Sabar MF, Altaf S, Kousar S, Ghani MU, Husnain T, Shahid AA, “Major Histocompatibility Complex class II Polymorphic variants are associated with Asthma predisposition in the Punjabi population of Lahore, Pakistan”, Clinical Respiratory Journal 2021;15:374–381.
• Genetic contribution of GJB2 gene to hearing impairment in Pakistan H Tariq, K Zaigham, S Kousar, A Azhar Advancements in Life Sciences 7 (1), 38-43
• Shahid M, Tayyab U, Kousar S, Ghani MU, Sabar MF, Husnain T (2019). rs153109 as possible indicator of effectiveness of Vitamin D supplements for suppressing COPD symptoms, CHEST, Vol. 155, Issue 4, p219A
• Sabar MF, Akram M, Awan FI, Ghani MU, Shahid M, Iqbal Z, Kousar S, Idrees M (2018). Awareness of Asthma Genetics in Pakistan: A Review with Some Recommendations, Adv. Life Sci. 6(1): 1-10
• Sabar MF, Shahid M, Bano I, Ghani MU, Akram M, Awan FI, Kousar S, Iqbal Z, Altaf S, Husnain T (2017). “rs12603332 is associated with male asthma patients specifically in urban areas of Lahore, Pakistan”; Journal of Asthma ;54(9):887-892
• Sabar MF, Kousar S, Zafar AU, Shahid M (2013). “PEG-interferon conjugates: Effects of length and structure of linker”, Pak. J. Pharm. Sci., Vol.26, No.2, pp.425-430
• Naz S, Li L, Riazuddin SA, Shahid M, Kousar S, Sieving PA, Hejtmancik JF, Riazuddin S (2010). “A novel locus for autosomal recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa in consanguineous Pakistani family maps to chromosome 2p”, Am.J.Ophthalmol., 149(5): 861-6
• Kaul H, Riazuddin SA, Shahid M, Kousar S, Butt NH, Zafar AU, Khan SN, Husnain T, Akram J, Hejtmancik JF, Riazuddin S (2010). “Autosomal recessive congenital cataract linked to EPHA2 in a consanguineous Pakistani family.” Mol.Vis. Mar.24; 16:511-7