Dr. Aamir Nazir is currently a Senior Scientist in the department of Toxicology & Experimental Medicine CSIR Central drug research Institute  India. He published more than 30 research articles. The laboratory of ‘Functional Genomics and Molecular Toxicology’ in the Division of Toxicology of CSIR - Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow is spearheaded by him.The laboratory employs functional genomics and epigenetics approaches towards understanding mechanistic aspects of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. Model system C. elegans is employed for the studies because of its immense genetic relevance; it exhibits appreciable homology of gene sequences with that of humans, is accessible for carrying out genetic manipulations and presents with multiple disease pathways that are conserved across the taxa. The first ever genetic understanding of Alzheimer’s disease came from research with C. elegans that led to identification of Presenilin-1 (orthologue of C. elegans sel-12).

Employed model system C. elegans for our studies and make use of genetic and pharmacological interventions including RNAi induced gene silencing, transgene constructs (GFP/YFP), Transcriptome analysis, micro RNA expression studies and associated aspects related to protein aggregation, cellular signaling and neuronal cell death, towards understanding mechanistic aspects related to human Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Their laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including High end C. elegans workstations with Stereozoom microscopes and imaging tools, C. elegans culture room equipped with customised sterile cabinets, Bacterial culture facility with Class II Biosafety cabinet, Automated fluorescence microscope with imaging system, Genetic microinjection system for C. elegans, PCR, Real time PCR, Multimode plate reader with Fluorescence/Luminescence/Absorbance suites, Electrophoresis/Blotting facility and all necessary infrastructural setup required for carrying out cloning, expression and transgenesis related studies. We are also maintaining a repository of 90+ transgenic and knockout mutant strains of C. elegans and an RNAi library of ~17,000 bacterial clones required for silencing 85% of the genome of C. elegans. The laboratory also has access to institutional Confocal microscopy, Multi-photon microscopy, NextGen sequencing (Ilumina MiSeq), Microarray, 2D DIGE and multiple other facilities that are required for addressing the specific aims of their studies