Summary
Dr. Zafar's research primarily utilizes proteomic and biochemical approaches to understand the mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Her ResearchGate profile highlights extensive work on: - Prion Diseases & Alzheimer's: Investigating biomarkers for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (sCJD) and rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease (rpAD). - Protein Aggregation: Studying how proteins like alpha-synuclein and tau misfold and aggregate, contributing to diseases like Parkinson's and various dementias. - Biomarker Discovery: Developing diagnostic tools, including the RT-QuIC assay, to improve early detection and differentiation of neurodegenerative subtypes. - Cellular Mechanisms: Exploring the role of mitochondrial dysregulation and post-translational modifications in brain pathology. -LC-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry) and SWATH-MS (Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical Fragment Ion Spectra): This is her primary tool for label-free quantification (LFQ-MS) of the proteome in human brain tissue and CSF. -Aβ Proteoform Profiling: She utilizes MS/MS to map the molecular determinants of Amyloid-β, identifying specific amino acid sequences and modifications that drive rapid disease progression. - Interactome Mapping: Using Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) combined with MS/MS, she identifies protein-protein interaction networks, such as those between the prion protein and stress granules.
Academic Background
PhD
(Neuroscinces) Georg-August Universität Göttingen
June 01, 2007 - January 17, 2011
Honours and Awards
HAI-IDR
Research grant- Helmholtz-Alberta Initiative-Infectious
Diseases Research (HAI-IDR)
November 06, 2013
University of the Punjab
Gold Medal, Role of Honor, B.Sc (Hons.) Department of
Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
July 22, 2003
University of the Punjab
Gold Medal, Role of Honor, M.Sc. Department of Zoology,
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
November 27, 2004
European Union (EU)
Ph.D. fellowship, 6th framework European Union (EU)-
funded project, “Identification of potential biomarkers of
CJD using STrEPTM technology and proteomics”.
March 14, 2007
UMG germany
Post-Doctoral fellowship, DGKL-funding, “Kidney fibrosis
and Mycophenolic acid”
January 03, 2011
European Union
Post-Doctoral fellowship, Protecting the food chain from
prions (Priority) European Union (EU) funded projects to
evaluate the epidemiology and surveillance of CJD
subtypes
May 01, 2011
University of the Punjab
Merit Scholarship, University of the Punjab, Lahore,
Pakistan
January 01, 2020
Human prions
Research grant- Human prions – distinguishing sporadic
from familial forms via structure and function – 201300024
February 06, 2013
Publications
Chrysoeriol-Mediated Neuroprotection in Parkinson's Disease in Mice: Targeting Apoptosis, α-Synuclein Accumulation, and Functional Recovery
March 31, 2026
Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine - Volume: 99(1), Pages:111-126
Reduced plasma TIA-1: bridging established pathology and novel biomarker potential
March 25, 2026
Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy - Accepted
A distinct tau oligomer strain defines the molecular and proteomic landscape of rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease
March 18, 2026
Acta Neuropathologica - Volume 151, Article Number 27
How Glial Cell Dysfunction Fuels Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s and Prion Diseases? Emerging Targets for Therapy
February 25, 2026
Glia Cells and Their Role in Maintenance, Protection, and Development of the Central Nervous System - Pages 30
Therapeutic Potential of Amyloid-β Interactors in Rapidly Progressive Alzheimer's Disease-An In Silico Study
February 15, 2026
Molecular Informatics - Volume45, Issue2, Article Number e70024
Proteomic Profiling Reveals Mitochondrial Dysregulation in Rapidly Progressive Alzheimer’s: Role of DLDH in Amyloid-beta Aggregation
January 01, 2026
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 63, Article Number 73
Tau oligomer heterogeneity and associated protein profile in slowly versus rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease
December 13, 2025
bioRxiv - Pages 31
Evidence for different seeding activities of misfolded tau in classical and rapidly progressive Alzheimer's disease
December 09, 2025
Brain Pathology - Pages 1-10
A Systematic Review of the Applications of Carbon Dots for the Treatment of Diabetes
December 01, 2025
Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology - Volume 114, Part A, Article Number 107497
Synuclein Proteoforms: Role in Health and Disease
November 19, 2025
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 63, Article number 87, (2026)
Chenodeoxycholic Acid-Mediated neuroprotection via α-synuclein and BDNF Modulation in MPTP-Induced mouse model of Parkinson’s disease
May 07, 2025
Neuroscience - Volume:573, Pages: 442-450
Alpha-Synuclein Demonstrates Varying Binding Affinities With Different Tau Isoforms
April 30, 2025
Journal of Neurochemistry - Volume 169, Issue 4, Article Number e70053
Multiomic analyses direct hypotheses for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk genes
January 27, 2025
Brain - Pages 1-14
Genetic assessment of apolipoprotein E polymorphism and PRNP genotypes in rapidly progressive dementias in Pakistan
December 18, 2024
Prion - Volume 18, Issue 1, Pages 1-7
Genome wide association study of clinical duration and age at onset of sporadic CJD
July 26, 2024
Plos One - Volume 19(7), Article Number e0304528
Therapeutic Potential of Nitrogen-Doped Rutin-Bound Glucose Carbon Dots for Alzheimer’s Disease
June 28, 2024
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine - Volume 97(2), Pages 153-164
Prevention of Chronic Diabetic Neuropathy and Diabetes-Associated Cognitive Impairment Using Medicinal Herbs (Cassia Angustifolia and Nigella Sativa)
June 28, 2024
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine - Volume 97(2), Pages 141-152
A systemic analysis of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease cases in Asia
February 07, 2024
Prion - Volume 18, Issue 1, Pages: 11-27
Current Technologies Unraveling the Significance of Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) as Crucial Players in Neurodegeneration
January 16, 2024
Biomolecules - Volume 14(1), Article Number 118
Differential interactome mapping of aggregation prone/prion-like proteins under stress: novel links to stress granule biology
December 01, 2023
Cell and Bioscience - Volume 13, Issue 1, Article Number 221
Genetic Variants Associated with the Age of Onset Identified by Whole-Exome Sequencing in Fatal Familial Insomnia
August 12, 2023
Cells - Volume 12, Issue 16, Article Number 2053
The Role of Tau Proteoforms in Health and Disease
June 02, 2023
Molecular Neurobiology - Pages 1-12
α-Synuclein conformers reveal link to clinical heterogeneity of α-synucleinopathies
March 14, 2023
Translational Neurodegeneration - Volume:12, Issue:1, Article Number: 12
SWATH Mass Spectrometry-Based CSF Proteome Profile of GBA-Linked Parkinson’s Disease Patients
November 16, 2022
International Journal of Molecular Sciences - Volume 23(22), Article Number 14166
Prion-like characteristics of Amyloid-β deriving clinical variants of Alzheimer’s disease
September 11, 2022
Prion - Volume 16:1, Pages 250-250
Clinical Proteomics: Diagnostics and Prognostic Markers of Cancer
June 28, 2022
Book on Cancer Biomarkers in Diagnosis and Therapeutics - 1st Edition, Chapter 4, Pages 83-99
Molecular Profiles of Amyloid-β Proteoforms in Typical and Rapidly Progressive Alzheimer's Disease
January 01, 2022
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 59, Pages 17-34
Molecular Profles of Amyloid‑β Proteoforms in Typical and Rapidly Progressive Alzheimer’s Disease
October 07, 2021
Molecular Neurobiology - Pages 1-18
Cellular Prion Protein Mediates α‐Synuclein Uptake, Localization, and Toxicity In Vitro and In Vivo
August 27, 2021
Movement Disorders - Pages 1-14
Distribution of microRNA profiles in pre-clinical and clinical forms of murine and human prion disease
March 25, 2021
Communications Biology - Volume 4(1), Article Number 411
Prion protein oligomers cause neuronal cytoskeletal damage in rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease
February 22, 2021
Molecular Neurodegeneration - Volume 16, Issue 1, Article Number: 11
Neurodegenerative Proteinopathies in the Proteoform Spectrum -Tools and Challenges
January 22, 2021
International Journal of Molecular Sciences - Volume 22(3), Article Number 1085
Optimization of the Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Assay for Prion Disease Diagnosis
November 19, 2020
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology - Volume 8, Article Number 586890
Identification of novel risk loci and causal insights for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a genome-wide association study
October 01, 2020
Lancet Neurology - Volume 19, Issue 10, Pages 840-848
Unveiling the Physical and Functional Niches of FAM26F by Analyzing Its Subcellular Localization and Novel Interacting Partners
August 25, 2020
ACS Omega - Volume 5(35), Pages 22008-22020
SFPQ and Tau: critical factors contributing to rapid progression of Alzheimer’s disease
June 23, 2020
Acta Neuropathologica - Pages 1-23
Genome-wide association study identifies risk variants for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in STX6 and GAL3ST1
April 11, 2020
medRxiv - CC-BY-NC 4.0 International license - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - Pages 1-32
The role of cellular prion protein in lipid metabolism in the liver
March 05, 2020
Prion - Volume 14, No. 1, Pages 95-108
Chromogranin A Analysis in the Differential Diagnosis Across Lewy Body Disorders.
February 18, 2020
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease - Volume 73, No. 4, Pages 1355-1361
Effect of the micro-environment on α-synuclein conversion and implication in seeded conversion assays
January 17, 2020
Translational Neurodegeneration - Vol. 9, Article Number 5, Pages 1-16
Therapies for Prion Diseases
November 11, 2019
Handbook of Clinical Neurology - Chapter 4, Volume 165, Pages 47-58
The cellular prion protein and its derived fragments in human prion diseases and their role as potential biomarkers
September 26, 2019
Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics - 1-12
Increased expression of heme-binding protein 1 1 early in Alzheimer's 2 disease is linked to neurotoxicity
August 27, 2019
eLife - Volume 8, No e47498
Cadmium induces GAPDH- and- MDH mediated delayed cell aging and dysfunction in Candida tropicalis 3Aer.
August 01, 2019
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment - Volume 191, Issue 8, Article Number 490
Seeding variability of different alpha synuclein strains in synucleinopathies.
May 01, 2019
Annals of Neurology - Volume 85, Issue 5, Pages 691-703
Cerebrospinal fluid total and phosphorylated α-synuclein in patients with Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and synucleinopathy
May 01, 2019
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 56, Pages 3476-3483
Prion Protein Strain Diversity and Disease Pathology
November 05, 2018
Book on Prions - Some Physiological and Pathophysiological Aspects - Chapter 4, Pages 1-16
Cytoskeleton-Associated Risk Modifiers Involved in Early and Rapid Progression of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
May 01, 2018
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 55, Pages 4009–4029
Validation of α-synuclein as a CSF biomarker for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
March 01, 2018
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 55, Pages 2249–2257
Animal TSEs and public health: What remains of past lessons?
February 08, 2018
PLoS Pathogens - Volume 14(2), Article Number e1006759
Regional and subtype-dependent miRNA signatures in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are accompanied by alterations in miRNA silencing machinery and biogenesis
January 22, 2018
PLoS Pathogens - Volume 14(1), Article Number e1006802
Molecular Alterations in the Cerebellum of Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease Subtypes with DJ-1 as a Key Regulator of Oxidative Stress
January 01, 2018
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 55, Pages 517–537
Cerebrospinal fluid in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
January 01, 2018
Handbook of Clinical Neurology (3rd series) Cerebrospinal Fluid in Neurologic Disorders - Chapter 8, Volume 146, Pages 115-124
Cellular prion protein mediates early apoptotic proteome alternation and phospho-modification in human neuroblastoma cells
January 01, 2018
Cell Death & Disease - Volume 8, Article Number 2557
Molecular basis of Cd+ 2 stress response in Candida tropicalis
October 01, 2017
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Volume 101, Pages 7715–7728
Applications of the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay in diagnosis, prion strain-typing, drug pre-screening and other amyloidopathies
August 14, 2017
Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics - Volume 17, Issue 10, Pages 897-904
Prion Protein Interactome: Identifying Novel Targets in Slowly and Rapidly Progressive Forms of Alzheimer’s Disease
July 03, 2017
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease - Volume 59, No. 1, Pages 265-275
Subtype Specific CSF Biomarkers in Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
June 07, 2017
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Parkinsonism - Volume 7, Issue 3, Article Number 1000332
Evaluation of α-synuclein as a novel cerebrospinal fluid biomarker in different forms of prion diseases
June 01, 2017
Alzheimer's and Dementia - Volume 13, Issue 6, Pages 710-719
Biosorption behavior and proteomic analysis of Escherichia coli P4 under cadmium stress
May 01, 2017
Chemosphere - Volume 174, Pages 136-147
Effect of Metformin on Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis: Comparison with Donepezil and Links to Cognition
May 01, 2017
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience - Volume 62, Issue 1, Pages 88-98
Altered Ca2+ homeostasis induces Calpain-Cathepsin axis activation in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
April 27, 2017
Acta Neuropathologica Communications - Volume 5(1), Article Number 35
Dementia with Lewy bodies: molecular pathology in the frontal cortex in typical and rapidly progressive forms
March 13, 2017
Frontiers in Neurology - Volume 8, Article Number 89
Strain-specific altered regulatory response of Rab7a and Tau in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Alzheimer’s disease
January 01, 2017
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 54, Pages 697-709
Regulation of human cerebrospinal fluid malate dehydrogenase 1 in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients
November 14, 2016
Aging - Volume 8(11), Pages 2927–2935
Stratification by genetic and demographic characteristics improves diagnostic accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in rapidly progressive dementia
October 18, 2016
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease - Volume 54(4), Pages 1385-1393
The real-time quaking-induced conversion assay for detection of human prion disease and study of other protein misfolding diseases
October 13, 2016
Nature Protocols - Volume 11(11), Pages 2233–2242
Application of an in vitro-amplification assay as a novel pre-screening test for compounds inhibiting the aggregation of prion protein scrapie
July 07, 2016
Scientific Reports - Volume 6, Article Number 28711
Application of capillary immunoelectrophoresis revealed an ageand gender-dependent regulated expression of PrPC in liver
December 01, 2015
Electrophoresis - Volume 36, Issue 24, Pages 3026-3033
Novel Biomarkers and the Diagnosis of Prion Diseases
November 26, 2015
Journal of Molecular Biomarkers & Diagnosis - Volume 8, Pages 1-4
Quantification of CSF biomarkers using an electrochemiluminescence-based detection system in the differential diagnosis of AD and sCJD
October 01, 2015
Journal of Neurology - Volume 262, Pages 2305-2311
Cytokine profiles and the role of cellular prion protein in patients with vascular dementia and vascular encephalopathy
September 01, 2015
Neurobiology of Aging - Volume 36, Issue 9, Pages 2597-2606
Cellular prion protein directly interacts with and enhances lactate dehydrogenase expression under hypoxic conditions
September 01, 2015
Experimental Neurology - Volume 271, Pages 155-167
Subtype and regional regulation of prion biomarkers in sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
August 01, 2015
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiolog - Volume 41, Issue 5, Pages 631-645
Cerebrospinal fluid tau levels are a marker for molecular subtype in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
May 01, 2015
Neurobiology of Aging - Volume 36, Issue 5, Pages 1964-1968
Characteristic CSF prion seeding efficiency in humans with prion diseases
February 01, 2015
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 51, Issue 1, Pages 396-405
Subtype and regional-specific neuroinflammation in sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
August 04, 2014
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience - Volume 6, Article Number 198
Anchorless 23–230 PrP C Interactomics for Elucidation of PrP C Protective Role
June 01, 2014
Molecular Neurobiology - Volume 49, Issue 3, Pages 1385-1399
Association of prion protein genotype and scrapie prion protein type with cellular prion protein charge isoform profiles in cerebrospinal fluid of humans with sporadic or familial prion diseases
May 01, 2014
Neurobiology of Aging - Volume 35, Issue 5, Pages 1177-1188
Subtype and regional regulation of prion biomarkers in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
April 01, 2014
Prion - Volume 8, Page121-121
Impact of the Cellular Prion Protein on Amyloid-β and 3PO-Tau Processing
January 01, 2014
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease - Volume 38, Issue 3, Pages 551-565
Detection of infectivity in blood of persons with variant and sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
January 01, 2014
Emerging Infectious Diseases - Volume 20, Issue 1, Pages 114-117
Kinases (Protein Kinases)
May 01, 2013
Book on Brenner's Encyclopedia of Genetics (2nd Edition) - Pages 166-167
Proteomics approach to identify the interacting partners of cellular prion protein and characterization of Rab7a interaction in neuronal cells
May 23, 2011
Journal of Proteome Research - Volume 10, Issue 7, Pages 3123-3135
Conferences
principle investigator
Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG),
January 01, 2011 - December 31, 2018
research scientist
Department of Clinical Chemistry, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG),
June 01, 2007 - April 30, 2011