Khawaja Iftekhar Rashid | Computer Science | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Khawaja Iftekhar Rashid | Computer Science | Research Excellence Award

Xiamen University | China

Dr. Khawaja Iftekhar Rashid is an emerging researcher in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision, with a strong specialization in semantic image segmentation for urban scenes, autonomous driving, and medical imaging. His work focuses on advanced deep learning models, including attention mechanisms, GANs, vision transformers, graph neural networks, and semi-/few-shot learning frameworks. He has published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals such as Neurocomputing, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, and Expert Systems with Applications, reflecting both theoretical innovation and real-world applicability. His research profile demonstrates growing scholarly impact with 46 citations, an h-index of 5, and an i10-index of 1.

Citation Metrics (Scopus)

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Citations 45

Documents 8

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Featured Publications

Sohail Ahmad | Applied Statistics | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Sohail Ahmad | Applied Statistics | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Sohail Ahmad | Quaid e Azam University Islamabad | Pakistan

Dr. Sohail Ahmad is an emerging researcher specializing in causal inference and the application of deep learning techniques to statistical modeling. His work focuses on directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) for uncovering causal relationships in observational data, with applications in epidemiology, public health, and healthcare policy evaluation. He integrates transformer-based models and variational autoencoders for counterfactual reasoning, treatment effect estimation, and personalized medicine using electronic health records. Dr. Ahmad earned his Ph.D. in Applied Statistics from Central South University, China, and holds an MPhil and Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan. He has published extensively in high-impact journals, including Applied Intelligence, Scientific Reports, and AIMS Mathematics. His professional experience includes roles as a visiting lecturer and data analyst, alongside participation in international conferences and workshops. He has earned multiple professional certifications in causal inference and data science and received scholarships and national awards for academic excellence, reflecting his dedication, innovation, and growing impact in statistical research.

Publication Profile

Scopus

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Education

Dr. Sohail Ahmad has pursued a comprehensive academic journey in the field of statistics, demonstrating a strong foundation in both theoretical and applied aspects of the discipline. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Statistics from Central South University, China, where his research focused on integrating deep learning and statistical approaches for causal inference, exploring innovative methods to model complex relationships in observational data. Prior to his doctoral studies, he completed an MPhil in Statistics at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, where his thesis addressed the estimation of distribution functions under various sampling schemes, contributing to methodological advancements in survey analysis. Dr. Ahmad began his academic career with a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the same university, developing a generalized exponential-type estimator for population mean using auxiliary attributes, which laid the groundwork for his expertise in sampling theory and statistical estimation. His education reflects a consistent trajectory of rigorous research training, analytical skills, and specialization in modern statistical and machine learning techniques.

Experience

Dr. Sohail Ahmad has gained valuable academic and professional experience in the field of statistics through roles in teaching, research, and data analysis. He served as a visiting and contract lecturer at the Statistics Department of Government Post Graduate Jahanzeb College in Swat, Pakistan, where he was involved in delivering lectures, guiding students, and supporting curriculum development, fostering both theoretical understanding and practical application of statistical concepts. Prior to this, he worked as a teaching assistant and data analyst at the Department of Statistics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Javid Shabbir. In this role, Dr. Ahmad contributed to academic research projects, assisted in data management and statistical analyses, and supported faculty in developing research methodologies and practical solutions for real-world problems. His experience demonstrates a combination of teaching excellence, research proficiency, and analytical skills, highlighting his capability to contribute meaningfully to both educational and research-oriented environments in statistics.

Professional Certifications

Dr. Sohail Ahmad has actively enhanced his expertise in statistics, data science, and causal inference through a series of professional certifications and online courses from prestigious institutions. He completed advanced courses in causal inference from Columbia University, equipping him with in-depth knowledge of graphical models, counterfactual reasoning, and modern techniques for analyzing observational data. In addition, he pursued data science certifications from IBM, including foundational and applied courses in data analysis, tools, and methodologies, which strengthened his practical skills in programming, data management, and predictive modeling. Dr. Ahmad also completed a COVID-19 contact tracing course through Johns Hopkins University, reflecting his commitment to applying statistical and analytical skills to real-world public health challenges. Complementing these achievements, he participated in the 90th IKECEST Training Program for Silk Road Engineering Science and Technology Development, and an advanced Excel course focusing on data analysis and dashboard creation. These certifications highlight his dedication to continuous learning and professional growth

Awards

Dr. Sohail Ahmad has been recognized for his academic excellence and active participation in extracurricular activities throughout his educational journey. He received a prestigious scholarship from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, in recognition of his outstanding academic performance and dedication to statistical research. He was awarded a Prime Minister Laptop on merit, honoring his achievements as a distinguished student. Beyond academics, Dr. Ahmad has actively engaged in extracurricular and leadership activities that demonstrate his broader interests and commitment to personal development. He participated in the National Youth Carnival-17 at Quaid-i-Azam University, which provided a platform for networking, collaboration, and skill enhancement among young leaders. Additionally, he took part in the Peace Model United Nations (MNU) and the Youth Counselling Summit, reflecting his interest in global issues, diplomacy, and youth development. These awards and participations highlight his well-rounded profile, combining academic rigor with social engagement and leadership potential.

Research Focus

Dr. Sohail Ahmad’s research primarily focuses on the intersection of statistical methodology and modern machine learning techniques, with a strong emphasis on causal inference and estimator development. His work on generalized exponential-type and unbiased ratio estimators, as well as population distribution function estimation using auxiliary information, reflects a deep expertise in survey sampling, finite population analysis, and statistical estimation. In parallel, he explores advanced causal inference frameworks by integrating transformer-based deep learning models and variational autoencoders to estimate individual treatment effects and model latent confounders, particularly for applications in health and social sciences. This combination of classical statistical theory and cutting-edge machine learning allows him to address complex real-world problems, including treatment effect estimation, predictive modeling using electronic health records, and methodological advancements for observational studies. Dr. Ahmad’s publications demonstrate a consistent focus on improving the accuracy, interpretability, and applicability of statistical models, positioning him at the forefront of research in applied statistics and causal machine learning.

Publication Top Notes

A generalized exponential-type estimator for population mean using auxiliary attributes
Years: 2021
Citations: 27

Finite population distribution function estimation using auxiliary information under simple random sampling
Years: 2021
Citations: 16

A simulation study: An enhanced generalized class of estimators for estimation of population proportion using twofold auxiliary attribute
Years: 2023
Citations: 11

An improved family of unbiased ratio estimators for a population distribution function
Years: 2025
Citations: 6

Evaluation of agricultural wastes as a sustainable carbon source for the production of β-glucosidase from Bacillus stercoris, its purification and characterization
Years: 2023
Citations: 4

TV-CCANM: a transformer variational inference in confounding cascade additive noise model for causal effect estimation
Years: 2025
Citations: 1

Conclusion

Dr. Sohail Ahmad exhibits significant strengths in both methodological development and real-world application of statistical and machine learning approaches for causal inference. His contributions to the integration of deep learning with causal frameworks demonstrate originality and forward-thinking vision, especially in health-related research. While there is room for growth in terms of leadership visibility and research independence, his trajectory suggests a strong upward path. Given his current achievements, academic promise, and global engagement, Dr. Ahmad is indeed a suitable candidate for the Research for Best Researcher Award, representing both current excellence and future potential in advancing causal inference and applied statistics.

Aditi Nag | Bioinformatics | Best Researcher Award

Assist. Prof. Dr. Aditi Nag | Bioinformatics | Best Researcher Award

Assitant Professor at Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, India

Dr. Aditi Nag is an Assistant Professor at Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, Jaipur, India. She completed her B.Sc. (2007) in Industrial Microbiology, Botany, and Zoology with a 75.25% from the University of Rajasthan and her M.Sc. (2009) in Biotechnology with a 74.66% from the Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan. She obtained her PhD in 2017 from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, under the guidance of Dr. Jonaki Sen and Dr. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, with a thesis focused on BMP signaling in adult tissue homeostasis.

Publication Profile

Scopus

Orcid

Google Scholar

Academic Qualifications 🎓

Assist. Prof. Dr. Aditi Nag holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Microbiology, Botany, and Zoology from University Maharani’s College, University of Rajasthan (2007) with 75.25%. She completed her M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, with 74.66% in 2009. Dr. Nag earned her PhD in 2017 from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, where she investigated BMP signaling in adult tissue homeostasis. Her thesis was supervised by Dr. Jonaki Sen and Dr. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay. Dr. Nag’s academic journey reflects her dedication to advancing scientific knowledge. 🎓🔬

Work Experience

Assist. Prof. Dr. Aditi Nag currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, a role she has been in since 2018. In this position, Dr. Nag contributes her expertise in biotechnology, focusing on teaching and research. She has been an integral part of the institution, helping to shape the academic environment and furthering scientific research in her field. Her dedication is evident through her work at the institute, and she currently receives a pay scale of ₹4.8 lakhs. 🌟📚

Professional Recognition & Awards

Assist. Prof. Dr. Aditi Nag has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the field of biotechnology. She received the First Prize in Oral Presentation at the International Conference ISSUE-2022 at UPES, Dehradun (2023). Dr. Nag also secured the First Prize in Poster Presentation at the International Conference Biosangam-2020 (2020). Her academic excellence is further highlighted by prestigious awards such as GATE 2008 (IITK), JRF-UGC and SRF (UGC), and the Summer Research Fellowship-2008 (IAS-INSA-NASI). Additionally, she won the First Prize in Poster Presentation at the National Seminar on Biotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture and Second Prize at the Indian Science Congress (2008). 🌟🎓

Teaching Experience

Since June 2018, Assist. Prof. Dr. Aditi Nag has been a regular faculty member at Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, teaching both PG and UG courses in Genetics, Developmental Biology, Genomics, Proteomics, Biostatistics, and Bioinformatics. She has also conducted tutorials for B.Tech students on Molecular Cell Biology and assisted professors in correcting answer sheets for courses like Compulsory Life Sciences, Biochemistry, and Molecular Cell Biology. Dr. Nag has extensive invigilation experience for department entrance exams and regular assessments. Additionally, she has trained over one M.Tech student in molecular biology techniques and lab practices. 🎓🔬

Research Focus

Assist. Prof. Dr. Aditi Nag’s research is primarily centered on environmental biotechnology, focusing on wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for tracking viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Her work investigates wastewater surveillance as an early warning system for pandemics and the role of microbial interactions in wastewater treatment. Dr. Nag’s studies also explore BMP signaling in tissue homeostasis, including skeletal, hair follicle, and intestinal health. Additionally, her research extends to nanotechnology, CRISPR-Cas systems, and the development of vaccines against emerging viruses. She has contributed to several publications on wastewater treatment, viral detection, and public health surveillance. 🌍🦠🧫

Publication Top Notes

  • Sewage surveillance for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genome as a useful wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) tracking tool in India – 177 citations, 2020 🌍🦠
  • Effect of earthworms in reduction and fate of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) during clinical laboratory wastewater treatment – 45 citations, 2021 🐛🧬
  • Design, performance evaluation and investigation of the dynamic mechanisms of earthworm-microorganisms interactions for wastewater treatment through vermifiltration technology – 37 citations, 2020 💧🌱
  • BMP signaling is required for adult skeletal homeostasis and mediates bone anabolic action of parathyroid hormone – 32 citations, 2016 🦴🔬
  • Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Variants by Wastewater-Based Surveillance as a Sustainable and Pragmatic Approach—A Case Study of Jaipur (India) – 22 citations, 2022 🧫🔎
  • Successful application of wastewater-based epidemiology in prediction and monitoring of the second wave of COVID-19 with fragmented sewerage systems – 18 citations, 2022 💧🦠
  • Imprints of Lockdown and Treatment Processes on the Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: A Curious Case of Fourteen Plants in Northern India – 17 citations, 2021 🌍🚰
  • RNA-Seq of untreated wastewater to assess COVID-19 and emerging and endemic viruses for public health surveillance – 15 citations, 2023 🧬🌍
  • Wastewater surveillance could serve as a pandemic early warning system for COVID-19 and beyond – 13 citations, 2023 💡🦠
  • Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in fourteen wastewater treatment systems in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan States of North India – 11 citations, 2020 🌍🦠
  • Constructed Wetlands and vermifiltration two successful alternatives of wastewater reuse: A commentary on development of these alternate strategies of wastewater treatment – 3 citations, 2023 💧🌱
  • BMP signalling is critical for maintaining homeostasis of hair follicles and intestine in adult mice – 3 citations, 2017 🧬🔬
  • Population Infection Estimation from Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Nagpur, India During the Second Pandemic Wave – 2 citations, 2024 💧🦠
  • Nanoparticles: Characters, applications, and synthesis by endophytes – 2 citations, 2023 🌱🔬
  • COVID-19 Vaccines: An Account of Need and Efficacy vs Safety and Challenges – 2 citations, 2021 💉🦠

 

 

Muhammad Ishaq | Data Science | Best Paper Award

Assist Prof Dr. Muhammad Ishaq | Data Science | Best Paper Award

Assist Prof Dr. Muhammad Ishaq, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan

Dr. Muhammad Ishaq earned his PhD in Computer Science with Distinction from Harbin Engineering University as an HEC Scholar in 2012. With 12 years of post-PhD teaching experience, he has significantly contributed to academia by organizing conferences and launching programs like BS (Bioinformatics), BS (Artificial Intelligence), MS (Data Science), and PhD (Computer Science). Dr. Ishaq has played a pivotal role in enhancing curricula and spearheading university computerization projects. He manages the HEC’s Digital Learning and Skills Enrichment Initiative (DLSEI) and has published numerous high-quality research papers. His dedication to supervising research theses and submitting projects to funding agencies showcases his commitment to excellence. 📚✨

Publication Profile

Scopus

🖥️ Academic Background 🎓

Dr. Muhammad Ishaq earned a PhD in Computer Science with Distinction from Harbin Engineering University as an HEC Scholar in 2012.

Research Focus

Dr. Muhammad Ishaq’s research focuses on machine learning, neural networks, and optimization algorithms. He has made significant contributions to data imputation in categorical datasets, robust crowd counting, and medical data classification. His work also includes optimizing neural network weights using accelerated particle swarm optimization and improving task scheduling for computational alignment of biological sequences. Dr. Ishaq’s research in agri-informatics and wireless body area networks further highlights his diverse expertise. His publications in esteemed journals and conference papers reflect his dedication to advancing computational methods and artificial intelligence. 📊🤖💡

 

Publication Top Notes

  • Machine Learning Based Missing Data Imputation in Categorical Datasets (Ishaq, M., et al., IEEE Access, 2024) – 📄🕵️‍♂️
  • Robust Counting in Overcrowded Scenes Using Batch-Free Normalized Deep ConvNet (Zahir, S., et al., Computer Systems Science and Engineering, 2023) – 📄🕵️‍♂️2 citations
  • NUMERICAL SOLUTION of WAVELET NEURAL NETWORK LEARNING WEIGHTS USING ACCELERATED PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM (Zeb, A., et al., Fractals, 2023) – 📄🕵️‍♂️1 citation
  • Optimizing connection weights of functional link neural network using APSO algorithm for medical data classification (Khan, A., et al., Journal of King Saud University – Computer and Information Sciences, 2022) – 📄🕵️‍♂️11 citations
  • A dynamic swift association scheme for wireless body area networks (Sheraz, A., et al., Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies, 2022) – 📄🕵️‍♂️
  • Comprehensive selective improvements in agri-informatics semantics (Ishaq, M., et al., Journal of Information Science, 2022) – 📄🕵️‍♂️1 citation
  • Smart Control System for User Confirmation Based on IoT (Khan, A., et al., Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, 2022) – 📄🕵️‍♂️
  • An Improved Strategy for Task Scheduling in the Parallel Computational Alignment of Multiple Sequences (Ishaq, M., et al., Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, 2022) – 📄🕵️‍♂️1 citation
  • Current Trends and Ongoing Progress in the Computational Alignment of Biological Sequences (Ishaq, M., et al., IEEE Access, 2019) – 📄🕵️‍♂️3 citations
  • Cognition in a cognitive routing system for mobile ad-hoc network through leaning automata and neural network (Afridi, M.I., et al., Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2013) – 📄🕵️‍♂️