Education
- Ph.D. in Physics, Syracuse University, 2022
Research Focus: Biophysical research on protein-protein interactions
Doctoral Fellowship: Research Excellence Doctoral Fellowship (2021) - MS in Physics, Syracuse University, 2018
- BS in Physics, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), 2016
Minor: Computer Science
Dean’s Honor List: 2013–2016
Research Experience
- Senior Scientist, Pfizer (2022–2025)
• Characterized 2000+ biomolecules for biomedicine discovery campaigns
• Designed and implemented high-throughput assays for biotherapeutic characterization - Research Assistant, Syracuse University (2016–2022)
• Characterized WDR5 protein interactions using BLI, SPR, and FP
• Established oncogenic potential of WDR5 mutations
• Modeled protein interactions using MATLAB and Python
• Investigated mutation clustering using computational approaches - Graduate Research Fellow, Ichor Therapeutics (2021)
• Investigated allosteric effects in WDR5 and optimized client assays - Researcher, CERN (2015)
• Developed detector testing software and evaluated pedestal noise
Biography
Dr. Ali Imran is a Senior Scientist at Pfizer with a strong background in biophysics and cancer research. His expertise lies in protein-protein interactions, using advanced biophysical experimental and computational techniques to explore oncogenic mutations and their effects on protein recognition. He has experience in high-throughput assays such as Biolayer Interferometry (BLI), Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and Fluorescence Polarization (FP). He also has experience in computational approaches such as Ensemble learning, ODE analysis, 3D Protein Clustering and Molecular Dynamics. He has worked on numerous collaborative research projects involving both academia and industry. Dr. Imran has also contributed to the optimization of biosensor technologies that use nanopores to quantify protein interactions as well as to detect cancer biomarkers. In his time in industry, he has designed and implemented high throughput assays significantly improving the scale and efficiency of drug discovery campaigns.
Dr. Imran holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Syracuse University, where his doctoral research focused on the biophysical quantification of protein interactions. He has taught several undergraduate courses in physics and has published multiple papers in high-impact journals. His work aims to bridge the gap between basic biophysics and its application in medical science, particularly in cancer research.
Publications
- Ahmad, M., Imran, A., & Movileanu, L. (2024). Overlapping characteristics of weak interactions of two transcriptional regulators with WDR5. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
- Mayse, L. A., Imran, A., … & Movileanu, L. (2023). Evaluation of Nanopore Sensor Design Using Electrical and Optical Analyses. ACS Nano, 17(11).
- Imran, A., … Movileanu, L. (2022). Convergent Oncogenic Alterations of a Protein Hub Produce Divergent Effects Within a Binding Site. ACS Chemical Biology, 17(6).
- Imran, A., … Movileanu, L. (2022). The Interplay of Affinity and Physical Restraint in Protein Recognition. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 13(81).
- Mayse, L. A., Imran, A., … & Movileanu, L. (2022). Disentangling the recognition complexity of a protein hub using a nanopore. Nature Communications, 978(13).
- Imran, A., … Movileanu, L. (2021). Kinetics of the multitasking high-affinity Win binding site of WDR5 in restricted and unrestricted conditions. The Biochemical Journal, 478(11).
- Imran, A., Popescu, D., & Movileanu, L. (2020). Cyclic Activity of an Osmotically Stressed Liposome in a Finite Hypotonic Environment. Langmuir, 36(13).
Workshops & Conferences
- PepTalk – The Protein Science and Production Week, San Diego, 2025
- Biophysical Society Meeting, San Francisco, 2022
- Graduate Teaching Workshop, Syracuse University, 2016
