![\"Muhammad](\"\/research\/files\/2021\/07\/muhammad-zaman-17-1316-ZAMAN-043-636x456.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Today we feature the work of Dr. Muhammad Zaman<\/span><\/a>, professor of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Boston University’s College of Engineering, and his team. The current focus of Dr. Zaman\u2019s research is on systems biology, \u00a0global public health, and applications of BME in the developing world. <\/span><\/p>\n Professor <\/span>Zaman is dedicated to addressing the problem of systematic poor-quality healthcare in communities across the globe. We first spoke with him at our 2021 Innovator\u2019s Journey<\/a> event and have continued our conversation since. Highlights of our discussions are included below. You can also watch Dr. Zaman\u2019s full presentation in this video<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rana Gupta (RG)<\/strong><\/span>: What is the need that you’ve identified and are trying to address?<\/span><\/p>\n Muhammad Zaman (MZ):<\/strong><\/span> I believe everyone should have access to quality medicine when they need it, no matter where they are. Social economic inequities limit access to quality medicines all over the world. Lack of access is especially prevalent in areas where long-term colonialism has led to depleted resources and a lack of agency in local communities.<\/span><\/p>\n RG<\/strong><\/span>: Your research led to an invention and a startup <\/span>\u2014 PharmaChk \u2014 that you hope will address this. What is PharmaChk and how does it work?<\/span><\/p>\n MZ<\/strong><\/span>: I<\/span> want to solve at least part of this issue by making quality medicines more accessible to those who need it. <\/span>With PharmaChk, we aim to keep harmful and substandard medicines out of susceptible communities by detecting counterfeit drugs. Such drugs are responsible for more than 100,000 deaths in the developing world.<\/span><\/p>\n RG<\/strong><\/span>: How exactly does the product work?<\/span><\/p>\n MZ<\/strong><\/span>: PharmaChk is a portable system that screens for poor quality medicines by quantifying active pharmaceutical ingredient content. Validating the quality of drugs coming into these communities is a critical step.<\/span><\/p>\n RG<\/strong><\/span>: What path have you chosen to spread awareness of your innovation in hopes of getting it more widely adopted?<\/span><\/p>\n MZ<\/strong><\/span>: I have chosen two pathways in order to create awareness not just in companies, but also among the broader population. First, I am using the publication pathway. I have published a book, <\/span>Biography of Resistance: The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens<\/span><\/a>, which I continue to talk about to raise awareness about dangerous aspects of our global health crisis. I also cover the many causes that have brought us to this point. <\/span><\/p>\n The second pathway is commercialization of PharmaChk to reach different markets. You and I are not the consumers of this project; instead it’s designed to fit into public health systems and the firms working with them. For public health, think of systems like the Food and Drugs Authority in Ghana \u2014 and then on the commercial side, firms like Merck KGaA.<\/span><\/p>\n RG<\/strong><\/span>: What would you say has been the most challenging part of pursuing this endeavor that the research industry did not prepare you for?<\/span><\/p>\n MZ<\/strong><\/span>: That your buyer, consumer, and beneficiary are not the same party! The buyer may be at Gates Foundation and the consumer may be in Pakistan. The beneficiary is the system as a whole. In some circumstances the buyer and consumer don\u2019t even talk with each other. This<\/em> is something that we do not learn in research.<\/span><\/p>\n Watch Dr. Zaman’s Presentation, From The Innovator’s Journey<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n