Dr. Mehmood completed his PhD from Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Japan where he conducted his research on dynamic regulation of proteins transport across the nuclear membrane. During the course of neuronal differentiation from Embryonic stem cells, various helix loop helix transcription factors are expressed. Taking NeuroD1 and E47 as representative molecules, and using proteomic and molecular approaches, Dr. Mehmood showed that their nuclear transport is regulated and heterodimerization plays an important role therein. Moreover, he identified a novel cross talk between two distinct nuclear import pathways, namely importin alpha and beta, for the efficient nuclear import of basic helix loop helix transcription factors.

Dr. Mehmood joined Childrens’ Health Research Institute, Western University, Canada for a postdoc on Epigenetics. While studying the dynamic regulation of epigenetic landscape during pancreatic development and disease, Dr. Mehmood identified unique epigenetic signatures in pancreatitis. Important functional and developmental regulators were identified as direct targets of epigenetic reprogramming that have implications in chronic pancreatic injury and pancreatic cancer progression. He continued his research on Epigenetics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, USA, where, by utilizing epigenetic approaches he studied the interaction of epigenetic regulators with stem cell factors during cancer progression. Dr. Mehmood joined Alfaisal University in 2018 where his research focusses on the role of epigenetic regulation in cancer and stem cell maintenance. He utilizes bioinformatic and molecular approaches to unravel important epigenetic signalling pathways regulating normal vs. cancer development. Non-coding RNAs, important mediators of gene function, and their interplay with the cellular machinery is another area Dr. Mehmood is interested in.

Dr. Mehmood has won various research and teaching awards and published high impact articles in peer reviewed journals.