Aga Shahee, PhD (Board member, Coordinator: Spectrum-Physics )

Dr. Aga Shahee hails from Goom Ahmad Pora, Pattan, Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir, currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Kashmir. With over 16 years of research experience, he has held prestigious positions at institutions such as IIT Bombay, India Seoul National University, South Korea, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. He earned his B.Sc. from Amar Singh College, followed by M.Sc. and M.Phil./Ph.D. degrees from the University of Kashmir and UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research Indore. A two-time University Gold Medalist and the first from Kashmir University to qualify CSIR-NET in Physical Sciences, Dr. Shahee has consistently demonstrated academic and research excellence. His research focuses on physics of novel multifunctional materials for spintronics, energy storage, and harvesting applications. A former Ramanujan Fellow at IUST and UoK, he has secured notable grants including SERB-SURE and Brain Korea 21 Plus, and has published around 50 papers in top-tier journals such as *Nature Communications* and *Nature Communications Physics*. As Coordinator of Spectrum–Physics at JK Scientists, he contributes actively to scientific outreach and collaboration within the community.

Webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/q2m-group/

Amreen Naqash, PhD (Board member, Chair: Spectrum, Coordinator: Team Mentorship)

Born and raised in Srinagar, Amreen did her Bachelor of Pharmacy and a Master of Pharmacy in Pharmacology from the University of Kashmir. She was awarded Doctoral Fellowship to pursue her Doctoral degree in Pharmacology at the University of Otago, New Zealand, where her research was focused on the structure-activity relationship analysis of viral variants of interleukin 10. Her PhD thesis was acknowledged by the Division of Health Sciences as outstanding, placing it among the top 10% of examined theses. 

Amreen believes that curiosity and the willingness to challenge assumptions are fundamental to scientific progress. Her Kashmiri roots give her firsthand insight into the daily challenges faced by students and communities, fueling her commitment to creating opportunities for undergraduates and aspiring scientists who are eager to pursue science with purpose. Through JKScientists, she remains connected to her homeland while mentoring the next generation of scientists and health leaders.

Today, Amreen applies her research expertise to health education and community outreach through partnerships and mentorship programs, empowering young people in Kashmir and beyond to engage with science as a tool for positive change.

Mubarak Hussain Syed—also known as the “Fly Guy”—is a developmental neuroscientist and educator committed to understanding how the brain develops to generate complex behaviors, while mentoring the next generation of scientists. Originally from Wahabpora Budgam in Kashmir, Syed’s journey into science began after a transformative developmental biology workshop at NCBS in Bengaluru, India.

He earned his PhD as a Max Planck Graduate student at the University of Münster under Dr. Christian Klaembt. He later completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Chris Doe at the University of Oregon, where he uncovered how neural stem cells use temporal patterning to produce diverse neuron types. Now an Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico, Syed leads a research group that uses fruit flies to investigate how neural stem cells specify neurons that regulate behaviors like olfactory navigation and sleep.

Beyond the lab, Syed is a dedicated mentor and science educator. He founded JKScientists and Pueblo Brain Science, two grassroots organizations that mentor and support students—from Kashmir to New Mexico. JKScientists, primarily run by active researchers, has had a significant impact on science and education and has inspired many new organizations locally and internationally. As President, Syed oversees strategic direction, outreach, training, and leadership development.

His work has earned multiple honors, including the NSF CAREER Award, Sloan Research Fellowship, McKnight Scholar Award, National Academy Kavli Fellowship, and the Elizabeth D. Hay New Investigator Award.         

In his free time, Syed enjoys mountain hikes, long runs, and exploring outdoors with his kids. You can learn more about Syed’s interests here

Email : president@jkscientists.org

Zahida Qamri, PhD (General Secretary & Chair Communications)

Zahida Qamri hails from the picturesque valley of Jammu & Kashmir. After completing her early education in Kashmir, she pursued higher studies in mainland India, earning a Ph.D. from Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. She furthered her academic journey with postdoctoral training at the prestigious Harvard University, USA. Currently, she serves as a Senior Quality Assurance Regulatory Consultant at the Ohio Health Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Zahida is deeply committed to promoting diversity and empowering women through education. As part of JK Scientists, she leads numerous outreach initiatives aimed at uplifting students and researchers from Jammu & Kashmir. These include interactive sessions with high school students to broaden their awareness of career opportunities, mentorship programs, and community-based educational support. In her role as Chair of the Communications Team, Zahida oversees all social media activities in line with JKS ethical standards and coordinates the release of the bi-annual JKS Newsletter, which highlights student talent in writing and the arts. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys camping and exploring nature, embracing the beauty and diversity of the world. She can be reached at zahidaqamri@jkscientists.org

Anha Bhat comes from Srinagar’s Haft Chinar area which is famous for its 7 massive Chinars. Anha graduated with a B.E (Bachelor of Engineering) in Biotechnology with majors in Genetic Engineering. The degree allowed her to spend considerable time with reactor designing and unit operations at VMU-Chennai. She went on to study Nanomedicine and earned a Master of Science degree in it. A linear dependence of nanomedicine on sensors for diagnostics ignited an old flame with machines yet again and motivated her to pursue a Master’s in Engineering in Nanoengineering with a specialization in semiconductor devices at University Autonoma Barcelona. Currently, Anha is pursuing her Ph.D. degree at the Research School of Physics and Engineering at Australian National University. Anha works on device fabrication of quantum confined systems. She grows semiconductor material systems with techniques like MOCVD, includes variations in them permitted within the condensed matter physics boundaries, and makes them into industry-oriented devices like Quantum Well Nanowire photodetectors and lasers. The device engineering labs at Intel, IBM, and JPL-NASA are the major beneficiaries of this research which explains my interest in tech- entrepreneurship.

In her leisure, Anha likes to read, play tennis, hike, and occasionally skydive! She strongly believes that the knowledge economy is one of the best contributions one can afford for nation-building which explains it as my passion and long association with JKScientists.

Dr. Anha can be reached at anha@jkscientists.org

Ahsan Ul Haq is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Founding Director of the Advanced Materials Chemistry Center (AMCC), Associate Chair of graduate studies in Chemistry at Khalifa University. He received his PhD in 2008 from Jeonbuk National University, South Korea, and completed post post-doctorate fellowship from Toyama University, Japan (2008-2010).  He served as faculty at KFUPM from 2010-2019. He also remains a visiting faculty in EPFL, Switzerland, Tokyo University, and Nagoya University, Japan. He is trained as a nanotechnologist and has published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed SCI journals, presented over 80 papers in international conference proceedings, given various invited talks, and given keynote speeches worldwide. He contributed 7 book chapters and edited  a book on “Metal Chalcogenide Nanostructures for Renewable Energy Applications” and holds 6 patents (USPTO) as inventor and co-inventor on new materials for clean energy applications.  His research focus is on new functional nanomaterials development, investigating the structure-property relationship of new materials and their nanoarchitectures for energy conversion devices and systems, such as green hydrogen production, carbon dioxide conversion into clean fuels, and energy storage (electrodes and electrolytes) applications. He is a member of the Mohamed Bin Rashid Academy of Science (MBRAS) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). He is a Visiting Faculty at CALTECH and the president of the American Ceramic Society UAE Chapter. He is an Editorial board member of MRB, Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, Energy and Environmental Materials, and Communication Engineering. He has been affiliated with JKScientist for 9 years.  

Dr. Ahsan can be reached at ahsanulhaq06@gmail.com

Khalid Gul, PhD (Board member, Chair: Mentorship Coordinator Team: Communications)
Khalid hails from Nowgam, Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. He earned his Ph.D. in Processing and Food Engineering from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India, and began his career as an Assistant Professor at the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Avantipora. He then pursued postdoctoral research in South Korea and China and later worked as a Senior Researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai. He has also served as an Academic Researcher at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Dr. Khalid is currently an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela. His research focuses on food colloids, innovative food processing technologies, and bioactive delivery systems. Passionate about outreach and mentorship, Khalid has been associated with JK Scientists since 2017, where he chairs the Mentorship Program and serves as the Coordinator for Communications. In his leisure, he enjoys listening to music, reading, and spending time with friends.

He can be reached at gulkhalid@jkscientists.org 

Dr. Saima Beigh is born and brought up in Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir. With the degrees of M.Phil. and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Kashmir, she is presently working in Higher Education Department. Saima has been a Subject Matter Expert for UGC-MHRD and a JRF for Indian Council for Social Sciences (ICSSR). Saima was awarded as the Global youth leader (2020) by the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), Istanbul, wherein she was trained by the United Nations and the University of Cambridge. She has also worked with National Commission for Women, the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Kashmir (IMHANS-K), SOS Children’s Village, and many more. Saima is deeply passionate about making a positive impact in people’s lives through her work and is excited to drive this through capacity building at JK Scientists. In her spare time, you can find her cooking new recipes and reading.

Dr. Saima can be reached at saimabeigh@jkscientists.org

Haroon RASHID, PhD (Board member, Coordinator: Team Mentorship, Chair: Team website)

Haroon Rashid was born and raised in Pahloo Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from the University of Delhi and an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the IDEX Fellowship to pursue a research-intensive Master’s program at the University of Paris-Saclay, where he also completed his Ph.D. at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), focusing on the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at CEA Grenoble (SolHyCat team, Artero Research Group), where his work centers on the design of hybrid molecular systems for photo(electro)catalytic CO₂ reduction and hydrogen production.Beyond the lab, Haroon enjoys hiking and playing Cricket. Haroon is the board member and  Lead Coordinator for SPROUT mentorship at JKScientists.  He can be reached at haroon@jkscientists.org.