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I am a PhD candidate in Forest Biotechnology at the University of Canterbury, collaborating with AgResearch NZ, focusing on rapid diagnostics of arthropod biosecurity risk species using mass spectral fingerprinting. My background spans entomology, plant protection, and biotechnology, with hands-on experience in experimental design, data analysis, and laboratory work. I enjoy collaborating with scientists across disciplines to translate complex data into practical pest-management insights and biosafety protocols. Having worked in China, Pakistan, and New Zealand, I thrive in cross-cultural teams and am committed to advancing safe, sustainable agricultural systems.…I am a PhD candidate in Forest Biotechnology at the University of Canterbury, collaborating with AgResearch NZ, focusing on rapid diagnostics of arthropod biosecurity risk species using mass spectral fingerprinting. My background spans entomology, plant protection, and biotechnology, with hands-on experience in experimental design, data analysis, and laboratory work. I enjoy collaborating with scientists across disciplines to translate complex data into practical pest-management insights and biosafety protocols. Having worked in China, Pakistan, and New Zealand, I thrive in cross-cultural teams and am committed to advancing safe, sustainable agricultural systems.

Muhammad Afaq Ahmed

Data Scientist, Graphic Designer, Photographer, +7

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I am a PhD candidate in Forest Biotechnology at the University of Canterbury, collaborating with AgResearch NZ, focusing on rapid diagnostics of arthropod biosecurity risk species using mass spectral fingerprinting. My background spans entomology, plant protection, and biotechnology, with hands-on experience in experimental design, data analysis, and laboratory work. I enjoy collaborating with scientists across disciplines to translate complex data into practical pest-management insights and biosafety protocols. Having worked in China, Pakistan, and New Zealand, I thrive in cross-cultural teams and am committed to advancing safe, sustainable agricultural systems.…I am a PhD candidate in Forest Biotechnology at the University of Canterbury, collaborating with AgResearch NZ, focusing on rapid diagnostics of arthropod biosecurity risk species using mass spectral fingerprinting. My background spans entomology, plant protection, and biotechnology, with hands-on experience in experimental design, data analysis, and laboratory work. I enjoy collaborating with scientists across disciplines to translate complex data into practical pest-management insights and biosafety protocols. Having worked in China, Pakistan, and New Zealand, I thrive in cross-cultural teams and am committed to advancing safe, sustainable agricultural systems.

Available to hire

I am a PhD candidate in Forest Biotechnology at the University of Canterbury, collaborating with AgResearch NZ, focusing on rapid diagnostics of arthropod biosecurity risk species using mass spectral fingerprinting. My background spans entomology, plant protection, and biotechnology, with hands-on experience in experimental design, data analysis, and laboratory work.

I enjoy collaborating with scientists across disciplines to translate complex data into practical pest-management insights and biosafety protocols. Having worked in China, Pakistan, and New Zealand, I thrive in cross-cultural teams and am committed to advancing safe, sustainable agricultural systems.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Chinese

Advanced

Urdu

Fluent

Work Experience

Research Assistant at College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, China

January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2021

Designed and performed research projects on insect pests; conducted experiments; managed laboratory equipment; studied Asian corn borer, fall armyworm, aphids, and diamondback moth biology and management; integrated ecological and genomic analyses.

Research Assistant at State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023

Conducting doctoral research to advance rapid biosecurity diagnostics for invasive insect pests; designed and performed experiments; collaborated with entomologists and ecologists; analyzed spectral data using chemometric approaches.

PhD Candidate at University of Canterbury

January 1, 2024 - Present

Conducting doctoral research to advance rapid biosecurity diagnostics for invasive arthropod pests using mass spectral fingerprinting (REIMS-based).

PhD Researcher at University of Canterbury

January 1, 2024 - Present

Conducting doctoral research to advance rapid biosecurity diagnostics for invasive arthropod pests; developing REIMS-based protocols; data analysis of spectral datasets; designing experimental workflows; collaborating with biosecurity scientists and entomologists to ensure robust protocols.

Research Assistant at State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

September 1, 2019 - July 31, 2023

Supporting biosecurity and plant protection research; conducting metabolomic and spectral data analyses; facilitating experiments and data collection; collaborating with teams in China under the National Natural Science Foundation project.

Casual Staff Member & Researcher at College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University

January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2021

Casual staff member and researcher focusing on plant health and entomology; designed and conducted experiments related to pest management, field sampling, and data collection.

Undergraduate Student Intern at Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan, Pakistan

July 1, 2017 - August 31, 2018

Collected data on infestation rates of cotton pests; performed chemical and bio-insecticide formulation work; supported field and lab activities.

PhD Candidate (Forest Biosecurity) at University of Canterbury (with AgResearch Bioeconomy Science Institute, NZ)

January 1, 2024 - Present

Doctoral research on rapid diagnostics for arthropod biosecurity risk species using mass spectral fingerprinting; designing experimental workflows, analyzing complex spectral datasets, and communicating findings at conferences and to stakeholders.

Undergraduate Intern at Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan, Pakistan

July 1, 2017 - August 31, 2018

Data collection on infestation rates of insect pests in cotton fields; formulation and testing of chemical and bio-insecticides; laboratory equipment management.

Research Assistant at State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

September 1, 2019 - July 31, 2023

Designed research projects, performed experiments, and operated laboratory equipment; studied biology and management of insect pests (e.g., Asian corn borer, fall armyworm, aphids, diamondback moths) using ecological and genomic analyses.