Syed Babar Ali School of
Science and Engineering
Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering
Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) at LUMS is the first private research school of science and engineering in Pakistan. In higher education, the term research school refers to a model of teaching and scholarship practised by some of the best institutions in the world where the primary function of the university is to create and disseminate new knowledge. SBASSE has consciously modelled itself along the lines of the world’s top research schools and has a highly qualified faculty to accomplish its mission. The hallmark of SBASSE is its no-boundaries philosophy, which encourages cross-disciplinary collaborations not only between various disciplines at SBASSE but also those offered by other Schools at LUMS.
A Different Kind of
Science and Engineering School
in Pakistan
300,000
Square feet of lab and
classroom learning space
70+
Dedicated labs for research,
teaching and support
Accredited by
PEC and NCEAC
Choose your path
Science for Pakistan
Contribution in Science and Technology by the researchers at SBASSE has an impact on the future development of Science in Pakistan.
Meet our Faculty
At SBASSE our faculty members share the boundaries of their life experiences and interests that foster a dynamic learning environment on campus.
Research and Impact

In a world where security is paramount, the…

In a world where security is paramount, the ability to protect personal information is constantly evolving. At SBASSE, a team of talented computer science researchers has uncovered a vulnerability in smartphone technology that could change the way we think about privacy.
The paper, "Glitch in Time: Exploiting Temporal Misalignment of IMU for Eavesdropping," has just been accepted to AsiaCCS 2025 (Core Rank A), a prestigious conference in the field of cybersecurity. With a competitive acceptance rate of only 15% in Cycle 1, this marks a significant achievement for the team, composed of Dr. Naveed Anwar Bhatti, Ahmed Najeeb, Abdul Rafay, and Dr. Muhammad Hamad Alizai.
What began as a simple class project for CS 677 in 2023 quickly turned into a journey of discovery. Ahmed and Abdul, both passionate about technology, set out to replicate existing research aimed at reconstructing audio from mobile accelerometer data. Their breakthrough came when they introduced a clever twist—misaligning the timing between the smartphone’s gyroscope and accelerometer. This allowed the gyroscope data to enhance the accelerometer data, making it possible to reconstruct voice commands at a lower sampling rate, all without requiring user permissions.
This discovery has profound implications for smartphone security. The ability to "listen" to your voice assistant commands without consent—using just two sensors at a sampling rate as low as 200 Hz—poses a major privacy risk. The vulnerability comes from the fact that these sensors don’t require user permission to operate at low rates, making them an ideal target for exploitation.
After months of hard work, the project blossomed into a senior-year SProj and was submitted to AsiaCCS 2025 in August 2024. The team's work has now earned them a place in one of the world’s top cybersecurity forums, where their research will undoubtedly inspire further innovations.
Dr. Naveed shares his pride, saying, “We can’t help but feel proud of Ahmed and Abdul, who poured their heart and soul into this project.”
Ahmed, now pursuing his PhD at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and Abdul Rafay, who is continuing his academic journey as a Teaching Fellow in CS at LUMS, have “both proven that with dedication and creativity, the boundaries of what is possible in technology can be pushed even further.”
Congratulations to the team on their groundbreaking success!

Sulfonamides are vital components in many…

Sulfonamides are vital components in many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, yet traditional synthesis methods face challenges due to instability and harsh reaction conditions. In response, Dr. Ghayoor Abbas Chotana from Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering SBASSE along with his team members Ismat Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz, and Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem, have developed an innovative catalytic approach for Sulfur (VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) reactions, published in Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis.
Using affordable organic bases and leveraging the unexpected role of glass reaction vessels, the team’s method simplifies sulfonamide synthesis while adhering to green chemistry principles. This breakthrough enables safer, more efficient production of sulfonamides for drug discovery and highlights how everyday materials like glass can influence chemical reactions.
Read Full Paper here.
The work reflects LUMS’ commitment to advancing science and sustainability, contributing to global innovation in chemistry.

Dr. Basit Yameen, from the Department of…

Dr. Basit Yameen, from the Department of Chemistry, has made remarkable contributions to the field of polymer chemistry over the years. In 2014-15, he was recognized as an Emerging Investigator by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Polymer Chemistry journal. Now, nearly a decade later, he has been honored once again, this time being identified and recommended by the journal’s editorial and advisory boards as one of the Pioneering Investigators who have firmly established themselves as pioneers of the field of polymer chemistry. This prestigious recognition celebrates Dr. Yameen’s lasting and impactful contributions to the advancement of polymer science, further solidifying his position as a leading figure in the field.

Dr. Nauman Zaffar Butt in the Electrical Engineering department leads…

Dr. Nauman Zaffar Butt in the Electrical Engineering department leads our efforts on photovoltaics which has now crossed over into the realm of agriculture, to produce the budding field of agrivoltaics. Powering agricultural farms through solar energy requires creative designs in both the solar cells as well as how solar cells will be integrated into a solar system that can power agri-farms.
Dr. Butt's PhD student Hassan Imran has now produced an amazing body of work that helps achieve both of these tasks. Novel materials, novel designs of the heterofacial structure of solar cells and employing two-dimensional layers of graphene or carbon nano-tubes can boost the performance of solar cells, achieving almost thermodynamically maximum efficiencies. Creative ways to interface silicon based and organic-inorganic solar cell technologies helps achieve the best of both worlds.
Finally, Hassan has mathematically modeled the role of soil and orientation of solar panels, in achieving high efficiency crop yield from solar enhanced farmlands. This work has immense implications for the country which calls for innovative solutions to address critical problems at the food-energy-water confluence.
The quality of his work is evidenced by the four articles published in the world's leading journal on this topic:
- The IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices [here, here, here and here],
- The IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics [here],
- Solar Energy [here] and
- Renewable Energy [here],
- along with several conference proceedings.
The Water-Food-Energy nexus remains one of the six forefront areas being pursued at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering.

In the hustle and bustle of Pakistan's…

In the hustle and bustle of Pakistan's healthcare landscape, a silent war is raging, and it's not against a visible foe but rather microscopic troublemakers – antibiotic-resistant microbes.
Antibiotic resistance poses a growing threat to health globally. According to a report by Fleming on Antimicrobial Consumption by 700,000 individuals each year lose their lives to resistant infections. In Pakistan, this issue is exacerbated by a lack of antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals, indiscriminate antibiotic prescriptions, and a surge in respiratory diseases due to polluted air.
Healthcare providers, lacking the much-needed antimicrobial stewardship, are caught in a loop of overreliance on intravenous and oral antimicrobials. It's a revelation that makes you wonder – are we unintentionally brewing a storm of resistance right under our noses?
There's a surprising twist in the narrative of antimicrobial resistance. The air we breathe carries pollutants and potentially acts as a highway for antibiotic-resistant genes. A study by Lancet, a reputed medical journal, reveals a compelling connection between PM 2.5 air pollution and antibiotic resistance. PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller. As these particles carry bacterial genomic material, inhaling them contributes to incorporating resistant genes into opportunistic pathogens, exacerbating antibiotic resistance.
Analyzing global data from 116 countries between 2000 and 2018, the study estimated that a 10% rise in annual PM 2.5 led to a 1.1% increase in aggregate antibiotic resistance, resulting in approximately 43,654 premature deaths. Regional variations highlighted potential significant increases in antibiotic resistance in Africa and Asia. Notably, for Pakistan, a 10% PM 2.5 elevation was predicted to increase antibiotic resistance by 2.6%.
To tackle this, Dr. Shaper Mirza has been at the forefront of addressing antibiotic resistance in Pakistan. She is actively engaged in projects addressing different facets of antibiotic resistance and stewardship. She participated in development of the first National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance in Pakistan. The initiative involves identifying rates of antimicrobial resistance from a One-Health perspective in Pakistan. This was the first effort of its kind which furnished sufficient data suggesting resistance across all sectors which include human health, animal health and agriculture. The investigation and its outcome led to the development of National Action Plan for AMR in Pakistan. The National Action Plan was implemented in Pakistan in 2017 and currently there are 43 sentinel sites collecting and reporting data on antimicrobial resistance strains. The Situation analysis for National Action Plan was done in collaboration with Global Alliance for Antimicrobial Resistance Partnerships (GARP). The GARP consortium, comprising seven countries, collaborates to exchange knowledge, build capacity, and develop antimicrobial stewardship guidelines.
To improve on stewardship practices, Dr Mirza in collaboration with Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) developed two courses on adult and pediatric antimicrobial stewardship. Both courses were very well attended both by physicians and basic science researchers working in the field of antimicrobial resistance.
Tips from the experts:
As Pakistan grapples with the dual challenges of smog and antibiotic resistance, practical steps can make a difference. When the air is thick with smog, consider preventive measures like wearing masks, frequent nasal cleaning to minimize pollutant exposure and emphasizing a high-protein diet to bolster immune systems.
While smog-induced respiratory symptoms might initially prompt concern, antibiotics are specifically designed to combat bacterial infections, not viral foes. Viruses, often the culprits behind seasonal respiratory ailments, don't respond to antibiotics. Therefore, before rushing to antibiotics, look for telltale signs of a bacterial infection – persistent high fever, green or discolored mucus, and specific radiological findings in chest X-rays. If symptoms persist, consult a healthcare professional who can guide you on the most effective and responsible course of action. By adopting these practices and following World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for antibiotic usage, we protect ourselves from the smog's impact and contribute to the collective effort to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for when they're truly needed.
After all, a breath of fresh air should be just that – fresh and invigorating!
Graduate Theses
The Particle

The Particle
A Science magazine with research and science stories from SBASSE.
Please click here to read the magazine: Issue 22
Science Stories

LUMS provides its PhD students with opportunities to engage with academic communities worldwide. Two students from the Department of Mathematics, Muhammad Ameer Hamza and Mughees Ghayas, recently participated in a staff exchange initiative at the University of Valencia, Spain, under the EU-funded CaLIGOLA program. This exchange, held from November 13 to December 28, 2024, aimed to promote international collaboration and advance research in areas such as Cartan Geometry, Lie Theory, Integrable Systems, and Quantum Groups.

Muhammad Ameer Hamza's Research on Topological Data Analysis
Hamza, a PhD student specializing in Topological Data Analysis under the supervision of Dr. Haniya Azam (Assistant Professor, Mathematics) and Dr. Hassan Mohy-Ud-Din (Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering), focused on the topological regularization of image segmentation using deep learning methods. His project aimed to improve methods for segmenting 3D MRI scans, particularly in distinguishing cardiac structures like the left ventricle, right ventricle, and myocardium. To support this work, Hamza used computational tools such as Google Colab with A100 GPUs to calculate Wasserstein distances between persistence diagrams of predicted segmentation and the ground truth, a necessary step in diagnosing cardiovascular diseases.
During his visit, Hamza gave a talk on "Topological Data Analysis: A Naïve Introduction," discussing its applications in areas like string theory, biology, and chemistry. He also collaborated with Dr. María Antonia Lledó Barrena on double geometry, which allowed him to explore complex linear algebra and the structure of manifolds. After his time in Valencia, Hamza extended his research journey to Aarhus University in Denmark, where he worked with Dr. Simon Kristensen and Nikita Shugla on Diophantine approximation theory, exploring problems in continued fractions.

Mughees Ghayas' Research on Algebraic and Combinatorial Properties
Mughees Ghayas, a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Imran Anwar, focused on the asymptotic behavior of Inc(N) invariant monomial ideals, particularly their algebraic and combinatorial properties. His research lies at the intersection of algebraic geometry and combinatorics, revealing patterns in infinite algebraic structures. During the visit, Mughees concentrated on conjectures about Cohen-Macaulay properties of simplicial complexes and the asymptotic behavior of ideals under combinatorial constraints.
Mughees presented his research weekly to Professor Marian Lledó at the University of Valencia. These presentations led to discussions that helped refine his research, including exploring applications in theoretical physics. He also delivered a seminar at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where he had discussions with faculty members such as Dr. Beatriz Pascual, Dr. Ana Bravo, and Dr. Adolfo Quirós, which opened potential future research opportunities.

Collaborations and Research Development
The visit to the University of Valencia provided both Hamza and Mughees with the chance to deepen their research and engage in international collaborations.
Both students expressed appreciation for the support of their supervisors, Dr. Haniya Azam and Dr. Imran Anwar, and thanked Dr. Walther Schwarzacher, Dean of SBASSE, for facilitating the funding and support that made their exchange possible.
This initiative reflects LUMS’ commitment to fostering global research connections, enabling students to advance their work and bring valuable international experience back to the institution.
LUMS provides its PhD students with opportunities to engage with academic communities worldwide. Two students from the Department of Mathematics, Muhammad Ameer Hamza…
Seminars and Conferences

Dr. Rizwan Haider received his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Shanghai, China in Sep. 2023. From Nov. 2023 to present, he is working as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Xianxia Yuan’s group at school of chemistry and chemical engineering (SCCE), SJTU. Dr. Haider’s current research interest includes microstructure design and fabrication of electrode materials for their applications in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) to produce green hydrogen. He has published review and research articles in reputed journals including Chemical Society Reviews, Energy Storage Materials, Materials Horizons, Chemical Engineering Journal, Journal of Materials Chemistry A etc. As an emerging researcher in the field of renewable energy, he has recently won prestigious “Super postdoctoral incentive 2024”.
Dr. Rizwan Haider received his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Shanghai, China in Sep. 2023. From Nov. 2023 to present, he is working as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Xianxia…

Professor Sarah Thompson is the Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor Research at the University of York where she leads the University’s Transformational Initiative on Building Industry Engagement and Income. She has previously held the roles of Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Sciences and Head of the Department of Physics. She received both her BSc and PhD from the Department of Physics at the University of Durham, and held two independent fellowships from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council at both Durham and the University of York where she is now a Professor in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. Her research interests are in nanomagnetism and nanoscale thermal transport. A Fellow of the Institute of Physics, she served as its Vice President Science and Innovation from 2015-2019. She has also won awards from the Institute of Physics and the British Association for science outreach. In 2012 she was awarded an MBE for services to Higher Education.
Professor Sarah Thompson is the Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor Research at the University of York where she leads the University’s Transformational Initiative on Building Industry Engagement and Income. She has…
Public Lecture Series

Aero Engine Craft is developing contrail-free aero-engines for the reduction of global warming and to induce artificial rain during aircraft flight through on-board water recovery from fuel emissions; creating a vision of the future for the aviation industry whereby it can not only reduce aviation induced global warming but also adopt an approach to treat the fuel emissions as a resource. A revolutionary technology is employed that eliminates contrails at source and recovers water from fuel exhaust emissions as a net positive product. This is a true definition of a disruptive technology; a global first attempt to create water within the aero-engine from the exhaust plume during flight, carry it aboard and release it as rainfall prior to landing. Our product is a low cost alternative to aero-engine redesign, and offers revenue potential to the aviation industry while solving a crucial environmental challenge.
The core technology is based on the research outcome of a PhD study conducted by Dr. Sarah Qureshi at the Propulsion Centre, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Cranfield University UK in collaboration with the inventor of the technology Mr. Masood Latif Qureshi. Aero Engine Craft is set up to convert this patented technology into a full scale commercial application ready to be used by modern civil transport aircraft. The business is modelled as a circular economy creating value for global engine manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers and airlines by providing compliance to environmental standards and revenue through emission trading and artificial rainfall. Aero Engine Craft aims to mark the beginning of the first contrail-free aircraft flight in the world!
Speaker's Biography
Dr. Sarah Qureshi is working on contrail-free aero engines as the CEO and founding director of Aero Engine Craft (Pvt) Ltd. She is also a visiting fellow at the School of Aerospace at Cranfield University. Sarah has a PhD degree in Aerospace Engineering from Cranfield University, UK. Her area of specialization is Propulsion whereby she worked on the development of a contrail-free aero-engine that has been derived from a novel patented technology. Sarah was actively involved with the invented technical outcome of the engine. The innovated engine has a tremendous potential in bringing about an environmental revolution in the context of aviation. Dr. Sarah Qureshi , along with the inventor of technology Mr. Masood Latif Qureshi has now set up Aero Engine Craft (Private) Limited as Pakistan's first commercial engine and aircraft company to convert this patented technology into a full scale commercial application ready to be used by modern civil transport aircraft. During her PhD, Sarah supervised a number of MSc. students for their research projects on Jet Engine Technology. Prior to this, Sarah completed her master’s degree in the field of Aerospace Dynamics from Cranfield University, UK. Her research involved the design of a trajectory following controller inclusive of stability augmentation, attitude control system and outer loop autopilot for unmanned aircraft (UAVs) flying in close formation for the purpose of air to air refueling. After graduating as a Mechanical Engineer from Pakistan, Sarah gained extensive experience of working in the local automotive and engineering industry. Her bachelors' research project involved the development of a measurement and data logging system for the in-cylinder temperature and combustion of an internal combustion engine. Her prime technical interests are focused upon engine technology and aircraft design. Sarah holds a Private Pilot License (PPL) with 70 hours of Flying Experience. She has also learned acrobatic flying and several flight manoeuvres while at Cranfield.
Speaker's Biography
Dr. Sarah Qureshi is working on contrail-free aero engines as the CEO and founding director of Aero Engine Craft (Pvt) Ltd. She is also a visiting fellow at the School of Aerospace at Cranfield University. Sarah has a PhD degree in Aerospace…
سائنس اور ٹیکنالوجی کی کہانیاں

علم و تحقیق کی دنیا میں، کچھ افراد اپنی شاندار کامیابیوں کی وجہ سے ہی نہیں بلکہ ان کے حصول کی تگ و دو میں درپیش سفر کی وجہ سے بھی نمایاں ہوتے ہیں۔ ڈاکٹر عفان رزاق، لاہور یونیورسٹی آف مینجمنٹ سائنسز (لمز )کے ایک شاندار سابقہ طالب علم ہیں، جن کی کہانی شوق، ثابت قدمی، اور اختراع کے جذبے کا عملی مظاہرہ کرتی ہے۔ اپنی نہایت سادہ شروعات سے لے کر فیڈرل ڈرگ ایجنسی (ایف ڈی اے) میں ملازمت تک ، ڈاکٹر عفان کا سفر قابل رشک اور تقلید ہے۔
ڈاکٹر عفان کا تعلیمی سفر لمز سے شروع ہوا، جہاں انہوں نے سید بابر علی اسکول آف سائنس اینڈ انجینئرنگ (ایس ایس ای) سے برقی انجینئرنگ میں ماسٹرز ڈگری حاصل کی۔یہیں ڈاکٹر عفان نے کنٹرول سسٹمز اور خاص طور پر بین المضامینی اطلاقات میں اپنی دلچسپی کو دریافت کیا۔ خاص طور پر لمز میں ان کی ہائیڈرولوجیکل سسٹمز پر مبنی تحقیق نے ان کے مستقبل کے ارادوں کی بنیاد رکھی ۔
لمز میں بیتائے گئے اپنے وقت کا ذکر کرتے ہوئے، ڈاکٹر عفان اس تبدیلی کے تجربے کو بڑے شوق سے یاد کرتے ہیں جس نے روایتی حدود سے ہٹ کر کنٹرول سسٹمز کے ممکنہ استعمال پر ان کے نقطہ نظر کو وسیع کیا۔ جرمنی کی یونیورسٹی، ٹی یو کائزرلاوٹرن، میں ایک مختصر مدت سمیت جدید تحقیق اور بحرانی تعاون کے منصوبوں نے ان کے تجسس کو بڑھایا اور انہیں علمی فضیلت کی راہ پر گامزن کیا۔
معاشرتی مسائل کو اپنے علم سے حل کرنے کے جذبے سےسرشار، ڈاکٹر عفان نے امریکن یونیورسٹی آف لوئی ویل ، امریکہ، میں علمی سفر شروع کیا۔ ڈاکٹر تامر انانک کی رہنمائی میں ان کا تحقیقی کام گردے کی دائمی بیماری کی خصوصیات اور دواؤں کی خوراک کی تشکیل پر مبنی تھا، جس نے ان کے مستقبل کے کام کو شکل دینے میں مدد کی۔
ان کے راستے میں کئی رکاوٹیں آئیں، جیسے کہ کووڈ-١٩ کے وبائی زمانے میں آن لائن تعلیم کے نظام اور مریض کے ڈیٹا کی کمی، لیکن اس کے باوجود ڈاکٹر عفان کی محنت اور استقامت برقرار رہی۔ مریضوں کے ورچوئل ماڈلز اور جدید تحقیقاتی طریقوں کا فائدہ اٹھاتے ہوئے، انہوں نے اپنی تحقیق میں نمایاں پیش رفت کی، جس کے نتیجے میں انہیں اشاعت کا ایک شاندار ریکارڈ اور اپنی اہم شراکت کے لیے باوقار ایوارڈ حاصل ہوئے۔

ڈاکٹر عفان کے موثر ترین تحقیقاتی منصوبوں میں سے ایک دواؤں کی انفرادی خوراک کے لیے ایک ماڈلنگ اور کنٹرول فریم ورک تیار کرنے پر مرکوز ہے، جو خاص طور پر گردے کی دائمی بیماری اور وارفارن کے انتظام سے منسلک ہے۔ ان کا کام نہ صرف ذاتی ڈوزنگ پمپس کے ذریعے صحت کی دیکھ بھال کی فراہمی میں انقلاب لانے کی حامی بھرتا ہے بلکہ انسانی زندگی کے معیار کو بڑھانے میں کنٹرول سسٹم کی صلاحیت کو بھی اجاگر کرتا ہے۔
اپنے تعلیمی سفر کی زینت بننے والی تعریفوں اور اعزازات کے ساتھ، ڈاکٹر عفان کی نئی ایف ڈی اے میں پوسٹ-ڈاکٹریٹ کی پوزیشن قبول کر کے ایک نیا موڑ لیا۔ دواؤں کے ردعمل کو سمجھنے کے لیے ریاضیاتی ماڈل تیار کرنے کی ان کی اولین ترجیح، ان کی سابقہ تحقیق سے نہ صرف ہم آہنگ بلکہ اصولی فیصلوں اور دواؤں کی منظوری کے عمل پر وسیع اثرات کی حامل بھی ہے۔
ڈاکٹر عفان اپنے سفر کو مد نظر رکھتے ہوئے، محققین اور انجینئرز کو ایک قیمتی مشورہ دیتے ہیں: اچھے استاد ڈھونڈیں، تجسس کو قبول کریں، اور سمجھ کے مشکلات کا حل نکالیں۔ ان کا منتر ”اچھا کریں، چاہے اثر ہو یا نہ ہو“ ان کی مہارت کو انسانیت کی بہتری کے لیے استعمال کرنے کا اظہار کرتا ہے۔

لمز کی تاریخ میں، ڈاکٹر عفان ایک روشن مثال ہیں، جو تعلیم، رہنمائی، اور کامیابی کی ایک عمدہ مثال ہیں۔ ایس ایس ای کے کمرہ جماعت سے لے کر ایف ڈی اے تک، ڈاکٹر عفان کا سفر ان لوگوں کی بے پناہ صلاحیتوں کی عکاسی کرتا ہے جو خواب دیکھنے کی ہمت کرتے ہیں اور دنیا کو بہتر بنانے کی کوشش میں مگن رہتے ہیں۔
علم و تحقیق کی دنیا میں، کچھ افراد اپنی شاندار کامیابیوں کی وجہ سے ہی نہیں بلکہ ان کے حصول کی تگ و دو میں درپیش سفر کی وجہ سے بھی نمایاں ہوتے ہیں۔ ڈاکٹر عفان رزاق، لاہور…