UP
Dr Ashfaqul Hoque
Postdoctoral Research Officer, Metabolic signalling Laboratory
Current Research
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The ProblemAn enzyme called AMPK has long been thought to hold the key to treating many of the most common diseases affecting our society, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegeneration. AMPK controls the ability of cells to match growth rate with the availability of energy and nutrients – a critical requirement for all living organisms. It functions as the ‘fuel gauge’ of the cell, speeding up cell growth when nutrients are abundant and slowing cell growth when nutrients are scarce. But despite 40 years of research, we only have a rudimentary understanding of how AMPK is controlled to perform its normal functions. We need to learn more to enable us to exploit its potential as a target for new treatment strategies. |
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The ProjectIn what is considered a major new step in the field, exciting new preliminary data has demonstrated how AMPK is regulated by fat molecules. Dr Hoque’s work builds on this discovery. He is developing and using cutting-edge techniques to examine how AMPK operates at different locations in the cell – an important but largely unstudied aspect of AMPK regulation. The aim is to identify and understand the levels of complexity contributing to AMPK regulation in order to realise its vast potential as a drug target for major diseases. |
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Dr Ashfaqul HoqueDr Hoque joined SVI in 2016. His research findings have been published in several reputable scientific journals and he has received travel awards and fellowships enabling him to present his work at more than 20 local and international conferences. He has collaborated with scientists in Australia and overseas. He is an active mentor for PhD, Masters and Honours students and involved in numerous scientific associations. |