After spending a lot of time trying to locate the particular molecules that play a role in diverse cancers, Dr Zahida Qamri changed her career path and started studying the quick response of societies to impactful science. She is currently working with JK Scientists where they handhold talent and guide the students in academics and research
TheNewsCaravan (KL): How you managed clinical trials during the Covid19 lockdown in the US?
DR ZAHIDA QAMRI (DZQ): In the Covid19 spread, the United States of America (USA) was taken off-guard. The healthcare system was not ready and we witnessed a healthcare crisis. The pandemic put the health systems under immense pressure and stretched them beyond their capacity. The disruption of the supply chain from China greatly affected the functioning of health institutions.
However, the experts successfully carried out vaccination trials in a considerably brief period of time. After clearing the phase-1 and phase-2 trials, the vaccine finally got FDA approval. Critically ill patients were given preference for receiving the vaccine dose. The government of the United States funded laboratories to get the vaccine ready in a minimum time span and the initial focus remained on genome sequencing. Researchers used to work day and night to find a single molecule, against which the vaccine could be produced. A Turkish couple finally succeeded in making the vaccine.
KL: What is your story from Kashmir to Ohio?
DZQ: My elementary education was completed at Netaji Memorial School in Balgarden. My high school years were spent at Caset Experimental School. Following that, I attended Kothibagh Higher Secondary School and then Women’s College on MA Road, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree. I then travelled to Delhi to further my education.
In the 1990s, moving to other states for studies was not an easy option in Kashmir, especially for women. But my family was very supportive towards my studies. Being the youngest among my siblings, I witnessed unparalleled encouragement. With the help of my siblings, I moved to Delhi, applied for the entrance test at Aligarh Muslim University and got into Jamia Hamdard. My initial years in Delhi didn’t go as I expected. It was a cultural shock, and added to it was the monsoon season. I had to stay at our principal RN Koul’s house for a year because I was unable to get hostel lodging. During that time, I had to commute between Faridabad to Delhi. So, it was quite challenging initially. However, with time I coped with the challenges and environment as well. I completed my master’s in Biochemistry. It was followed by a doctoral programme at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
KL: What was your PhD thesis all about?
DZQ: In the Indian sub-continent, diarrhoea is one of the major health problems in children under one year of age. The diarrhoea-causing bacteria have various strains, among which few could turn out to be fatal. During my doctoral programme, I examined the stool of the children and developed DNA fingerprinting of the bacteria found. The purpose of my study was to identify and characterize the bacterial strains, which cause diarrhoea in infants. I also studied drug resistance among diarrhoea-causing bacteria.
KL: What were the major takeaways from your study?
DZQ: I discovered a small probe that could be used as identifying probe for bacterial strains and how to treat specific strains.
KL: Not all PhDs end up in discoveries. But there is a chain of follow-up studies. Has your PhD proven to be one?
DZQ: Yes, this topic was worked on under the guidance of my PhD supervisor until he retired. Much work has been done in this area in other parts of the world. In science, each investigation or study is an additional item to solve the puzzle and takes years to complete. Only then, can we get a clear picture of things.
KL: What did you do in your post-doctoral research?
DZQ: During my doctoral programme in microbiology, I developed an interest in oncology. I was selected in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi as a research scientist, where we worked on breast cancer. During our research, we hoped to identify a cancer-causing gene in the north Indian population. If we locate that gene in any person during genome sequencing, we can inform them about their propensity for cancer. It was during that time that there was a job opening at the Harvard Medical School for breast cancer. Since I had all the qualifications, I was called there. My first post-Doc was at Harvard Medical School.
Post Doc is basically a training that makes you think and analyse critically. It helps broaden our vision. As, I had studied breast cancer at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, I incorporated brain and lung cancer in the study during my postdoc at Harvard. It was a great opportunity. I started drawing experiments and writing grants independently.
I spent 2.5 years at the Harvard Medical School. Then our lab was shifted to Ohio State University. I worked for 10-12 years as a postdoc there. However, due to a lack of funding, I was unable to get grants. So, I decided to get a master’s degree in Clinical and pre-clinical research from Ohio State University. The programme helped me to get into a new field of managing clinical research and locating the impact of the work in laboratories on common people.
Dr Zahida Qamri
KL: What is the status of cancer research? How long will cancer be a challenge to humanity?
DZQ: In this part of the world, cancer is seen as taboo. People suffering from cancer can’t reveal their condition to others because it is treated as an infectious disease. However, in western countries, a person mandatorily undergoes an annual check-up for cancer. So, if we are able to detect cancer at its early stage, we are able to cure the person. But the lack of pre-screening practice makes a large chunk of our population vulnerable to this deadly disease because the patient only comes to know about it when cancer overtakes his body. It is one of the reasons for the high mortality rates here. There is a need for awareness among the general population and to encourage them to go for annual check-ups. This can help us deal with the disease a little better.
KL: How relevant is the subject of clinical trials here? What are the new subfields of biochemistry that have better demand in the market?
DZQ: Clinical trials are a new and emerging discipline. For better management, Western countries are outsourcing the field. To enter the field, you do not require a specialist degree. Clinical trials are managed in a variety of cities in India, including Bangalore and Hyderabad. I am working with JK Scientists and we have conducted a few programmes on clinical studies and how our youngsters can look towards this area as their career. You may even participate from home. Internet access and electricity are two fundamental requirements in this field.
KL: A number of top professionals are serving major medical institutions across the world. Can there be some kind of outreach centre back home?
DZQ: Yes, of course, that is possible, but it requires infrastructure. The government must take the lead and provide the necessary infrastructure.
KL:Did you see any changes in Kashmir’s education system from the days when you were a student?
DZQ: Our youth are still confused about their education and employment. They do not have a long-term goal. I find it similar to what I witnessed 15-20 years ago. Our youth require suitable guidance on maintaining their attention on the good things.
Kashmir neuroscientist, Dr Zahoor Shah, currently teaching at the University of Toledo, Ohio, is investigating the Gut-Brain axis in understanding various brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. His research sees the gut as a major player in various diseases as the key organ is a universe of good and bad bacteria, he reveals in a detailed interview
TheNewsCaravan (KL): Is it true that most of the innovations and discoveries are logical explanations of conventional wisdom that humans already know?
DR ZAHOOR SHAH (DZS): Yes, You said it right. There is a role of human beings behind all the advancements in the world, even if you talk about artificial intelligence. All the inventions and technologies in the present world are because of human effort. Even if we talk about genetics, it was not taken into consideration in the past, but now it has changed science to a whole new level. For example, in the last ten years, there has been a tremendous amount of research on microbiota (bacteria in human intestines), which were not previously distinguished that much. Then, with time, scientists were able to discover their importance.
Overall, science has moved from conventional to new inventions. Scientists were able to discover new signalling pathways and causes of diseases in the body. There is a substantial increase in knowledge about medical science and a lot of enhancement in human health with technological advancements. Technology has helped us a lot. Now, we can isolate a minute gene from a cell and amplify it. We have also learned about the causes of diseases and found a cure that humans suffered through. Earlier, people would die young and nobody could explain why. Now we have progressed, and conditions can be identified earlier, and lives can be saved. It has led to longer life spans and a concept of slowing the ageing process and identifying causes that accelerates ageing and related diseases.
KL:How has your journey been till now and what were the struggles and milestones that you encountered from Srinagar to Ohio?
DZS: I did my schooling up to tenth standard at Shaheen Public School, and then twelfth from MP Higher Secondary School, Srinagar. I graduated with a BSc from SP College and worked part-time as a medical representative, where I became interested in drug discovery and development. That curiosity led me to pursue a Master’s degree in Toxicology at Hamdard University, Delhi. While pursuing my master’s, I got interested in research as I saw PhD scholars performing research in different areas of pharmacology and toxicology.
Fortunately, I got a chance to do my research on Neurobehavioral systems under famous neuro-behaviourist Dr SB Vohra, who is not unfortunately with us now. After finishing my PhD, I got an opportunity to do my first postdoctoral training with Dr David Gozal at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, for two and a half years. I studied sleep apnoea and identified biomarkers in the urine sample of children. The idea was to develop a diagnostic kit in which we could use a child’s urine sample to detect whether the child is suffering from sleep apnoea instead of a child going through excruciating overnight sleep studies. We identified a few biomarkers, and my mentor, David Gozal, patented the concept.
It is essential to mention that my PhD was on finding neuroprotective agents for ischemic brain injury. I was intrigued by the beneficial effects of natural plant products like green tea and Ginkgo biloba on human health. So I wanted to research whether these two natural products can help prevent stroke. Stroke is a leading cause of death and is caused by a clot that stops blood flow to the parts of the brain.
This was a game changer in my career as this concept helped me to receive a grant award when I moved to Johns Hopkins University for my second postdoctoral training. My mentor at Johns Hopkins, Dr Sylvain Dore, suggested writing a grant proposal on a novel natural product that could help in stroke prevention. Since I had already studied Ginkgo Biloba, I proposed the concept and received a highly competitive grant award from the National Institute of Health, Pathway to Independence. We fed Ginkgo biloba to animals and experimentally induced a stroke to examine whether it could show protective effects. After receiving the grant, I moved to the University of Toledo in 2009, where I got an independent position as Assistant Professor. There, I developed new research ideas as my interest grew in understanding the proteins or genes that are beneficial or harmful during a stroke. My team, including PhD students and postdocs, identified a protein crucial in stroke pathology. As the study progressed, we discovered its role in increasing inflammation in the brain in other conditions.
Here at the University of Toledo, I am in the Medicinal Chemistry Department and collaborated with a medicinal chemist. We synthesized a chemical molecule (drug molecule) against the gene we identified playing a crucial role in stroke pathology. We did preliminary studies using cell models of human haemorrhagic stroke and found the drug molecule is preventing neurons from the toxic effects of blood. Haemorrhagic stroke occurs when a brain blood vessel ruptures and causes bleeding. As a result, widespread neuro-inflammation ensues after the initial impact of bleeding. This is considered a debilitating disease, and around 50 per cent of patients remain immobilized for the rest of their lives.
Dr Zahoor Shah (University of Toledo, Ohio)
Since there is no drug available to treat haemorrhagic strokes, our idea was to make a drug molecule for reducing neuroinflammation. First, we developed a concept and sent the proposal to the National Institute of Health for funding. Fortunately, we received approximately US 2 million dollars for the research and development of the drug molecule. This research is ongoing, and we have received a US patent on this invention.
Our continuing efforts led my PhD students to research other conditions like age-related diseases and neuro-degenerative diseases that usually occur after the ’60s, such as Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or Alzheimer’s disease. Most of these diseases have a single common component which is neuroinflammation. Therefore, we want to stop neuroinflammation so that old people become less prone to neurodegenerative diseases.
Besides, we also saw that neuroinflammation might have origins in other organs of the body. Certain diseases like Obesity, Diabetes, or Rheumatoid Arthritis have inflammation spread throughout the body. These inflammatory compounds do not enter the brain because the Blood Brain Barrier keeps harmful substances from entering the brain. But with age, this barrier also gets groggy and all the harmful inflammatory components cross into the brain resulting in neuroinflammation. This led to another intriguing question on gut microbiota and whether it has any role in neuroinflammation. Our intestines provide a conducive environment for essential bacteria that thrive on the fermentation of non-digestible fibres.
Conversely, people nowadays eat a lot of unhealthy Western food and fast food, which increases bad bacteria and decreases good bacteria in our gut, causing dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbial community). Thus, we studied what effect gut dysbiosis will have on the brain, as it is well connected to the brain. For example, whenever we have to write an examination or make a presentation, we get nervous and anxious, which gives us a sense of butterflies in our stomach and results in a stomach ache or nausea. So, there is a bi-directional connection between our brain and gut. Therefore, we looked into what interchanges occur in the gut with ageing and its impact on our brain health.
For the last 12 years, I have been studying peripheral inflammation and now got interested to learn the microbiota-brain-axis in ageing. We performed experiments on aged mice and induced experimental inflammation to see whether it would change the microbiota. So, it came to be true and we observed an increase in the bad bacteria which caused the inflammation. We also observed markers of other neurodegenerative diseases in the brain. With this, we figured out that people with Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Obesity, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s may have microbiota dysfunction. Along with this, we also observed female animals having higher Alzheimer’s Disease markers. Females are known to have a higher risk of Dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease than men.
We are currently working on the drug molecule, as I mentioned before and we are at an advanced stage of developing it.
KL: What were the different takeaways from your research and is there anything as such that is available and in practice on the ground level?
DZS: As I enunciated about my PhD research earlier, that was on Ginkgo Biloba. It is known to increase our memory. There have been many clinical trials in that aspect, but they didn’t prove successful. Patients above 70 years were recruited to see whether Ginkgo Biloba supplements would help enhance memory. I was at John Hopkins during this clinical trial, and our proposal of using a natural product for stroke prevention was fascinating and resulted in receiving the grant award. So, it was an outstanding achievement for me, as Gingko Biloba is already available in the market and has no side effects. If taken in minimal amounts has good health benefits. If at least 120 mg is taken daily, it can have good results and has no toxicity. This ground-breaking finding can benefit stroke prevention and help enhance memory in older people.
The other important achievement is the drug we are developing for neuroinflammation. I stated before the drug received the US patent and is ready to proceed in clinical trials and get FDA approval for clinical use.
KL:Subjecting to gut feeling or gut-brain axis, is it relevant to say that the brain has outsourced some of its functions to the gut?
DZS: That is an interesting question and an interesting idea to investigate. Our gut has major roles to play and is also considered a second brain because of its neural connections to the brain. The oesophagus and lining of the intestines to the rectum all have neural circuits that are controlled by the enteric nervous system (ENS), which is responsible for gastrointestinal behaviour. So, there is a bi-directional connection between the brain and the gut. Gut-brain-axis has many essential functions, including hormonal connections, and manage the immune system to some extent
For example, if we talk about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it has been found that the root cause is gut dysbiosis. Other disorders like Anxiety, Depression, or weight gain have also been seen to occur because of gut bacteria dysbiosis. There have also been experiments on weight gain in which faecal samples of overweight patients were taken and then implanted in mice. It was observed that the mice also gained weight due to bad microbiota. With that observation, it was observed that gut microbiota not only deals with gastrointestinal behaviour but also increases weight. So, it denotes that if we have a healthy gut, it can also control our weight. There are also a lot of clinical trials and research going on faecal implantation from healthy persons to patients with gut dysbiosis and syndromes like inflammatory bowel syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome.
KL: How sooner will we be able to see a shift in our routine toward something that is based on your path-breaking study?
DZS: For now, there has already been awareness, and people are moving towards a healthy lifestyle. The major takeaway is to take healthy foods that are rich in fibre. Usually, when we have fibrous food, it does not get digested in the upper colon but gets assimilated in the lower colon. After the assimilation, the material is left for the good bacteria to maintain equilibrium in the gut.
The drug molecule that I have invented may take time to come out. The least we can do now is change our unhealthy diet to a nutritious one, eat less red meat, and have more fibrous foods like green or leafy vegetables, onions, and garlic. We can also take supplements such as prebiotics and probiotics as well. Adding healthy habits in our daily life can help us keep our gut health, which will eventually positively impact our brain health.
KL:How true is the claim that if viruses and bacterial species will be eliminated from human existence, human survival won’t be the same?
DZS: That is true to reality. We have millions of bacteria and viruses in our bodies, which have a beneficial role to play. While alive or dead, bacteria are a very valuable assistance to our body. The good bacteria should not be eliminated and the bad ones must also be kept in check.
After death, the bacteria help decompose the corpse, and while living, it gives aid to our (GI Tract) gastrointestinal system. They release good products like short-chain fatty acids that help in weight loss and gut-related issues. It depends on us to manage the healthy bacteria in our bodies. They are a very important component of our lives.
SRINAGAR: Kashmir neuroscientist, Dr Mubarak Hussain Syed, is among the 125 scientists from USA and Canada who were declared prestigious Sloan Research Fellows for 2023. Every one of them receives US $75000 to pursue their research within two years.
Dr Mubarak Hussain Syed is an assistant professor of Biology at The University of New Mexico and runs his own laboratory that has already helped solve certain mysteries of mind works in fruit flies.
The Alfred P Sloan Foundation announced 126 early-career scholars recently. These 126 scientists “represent the most promising scientific researchers working today” and their “achievements and potential place them among the next generation of scientific leaders in the US and Canada,” the Foundation statement reads.
The Fellowships are aimed at seeking to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise. These are given in “recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field”.
“The fellowships are presented to researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out,” a statement issued by the University said, insisting the fellowship is “one of the most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career researchers”. It added: “They are also often seen as a marker of the quality of an institution’s science faculty and proof of an institution’s success in attracting the most promising junior researchers to its ranks.”
“I am humbled and honoured; it feels good to see your peers recognize your work and trust your capabilities, which also adds many responsibilities.,” Syed told TheNewsCaravan. “Early in my independent scientific career, this recognition will tremendously help our research programme and mentoring activities. I am grateful to my dedicated and hardworking team at the University of New Mexico, especially my first two graduate students, who also happen to be from Kashmir. Thanks to my family, friends, and mentors who have supported me and mentored me to be a better person. Special thanks to the dedicated and hardworking team at JKScientists, who are doing transformative work to train and mentor the next-generation Kashmiri students.”
Asked where the new resources will be utilised, Dr Syed said the funds will be used to investigate fruit fly brain development. “Our research focuses on how neural stem cells generate central complex neurons,” he said. “The central complex is a conserved brain region among insects involved in many complex behaviours, including navigation and sleep. We will also use these funds to get pizzas for the students and trainees we mentor in Neural Diversity Lab.”
In the Neural Diversity Lab of the University of New Mexico, Dr Mubarak Hussain Syed (extreme right) with his scholars. KL Image: Special Arrangement
“This award will help our team decipher the mysteries of fruit fly brain development, which will advance our understanding on unravelling fundamental principles underlying brain development and function across species,” Arash Mafi, University interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted as having said. “Our research will shed light on the development of the central complex, the brain region used for the celestial navigation of ants, flies, bees, and butterflies.”
Syed heads the University’s Neural Diversity Lab investigates the genetic and molecular mechanisms regulating neural diversity – from stem cells to neural circuits. “The findings will help uncover the fundamental principles of nervous system development and potentially to understand and treat neuro-developmental disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, ADHD, and autism,” the university said. Right now, the laboratory is investigating how neural stem cells specify neuron types essential for olfactory navigation and sleep behaviours.
Fruit flies, it may be recalled here, offer an excellent model system to understand the genetic basis of nervous system development and function. Syed has been working with fruit flies for over a decade and is known as the “Fly Guy.”
Already, the laboratory has identified a novel role of insect growth hormone in regulating neural stem cell temporal gene expression. Now they are testing if this hormonal signalling regulates the formation of diverse neuron types in the fruit fly brain.
While Syed has emerged as perhaps the first Kashmir scientist to get the prestigious fellowship, this is not the first competitive award he has got. In 2021, he was awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER award.
Dr Syed is also the founder of JK Scientists, a registered organisation that helps young scholars to navigate their career paths. Asked what his advice to aspiring scientists would be, he said: “Follow your passion; life is full of failures, but people only highlight success stories. I have failed most of the time and fail every day; persistence and consistency is the key. Value quality over quantity, and there are no shortcuts to achieving quality. I hope that in our region, talent gets recognition and the system starts nurturing early career scientists/scholars someday. Unfortunately, the current hiring system is losing quality researchers and future leaders. Stay motivated and hopeful, be kind and generous, and seek mentorship at your educational institution, JKScientists, or both. Inshallah, many among you will do better than me.”
Dr Samina Raja plans cities, towns, and regions to promote health and food equity. An award-winning professor and founder of a globally recognized Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities laboratory, operating from the University of Buffalo, she and her team conduct research on how to develop equitable, sustainable, and healthy cities. Her research has been used to advise local and national governments within and outside the US, and international organizations like the UN’s FAO. In a freewheeling interview with Masood Hussain, she offers her ideas about Kashmir of her imagination
KASHMIR LIFE (KL): Food security is a major concern in developing countries. What are its manifestations and current global status?
DR SAMINA RAJA (DSR): Food insecurity has varied definitions but is often defined as the chronic lack of access to food. Food insecurity is different from hunger. Hunger is a physical sensation tied to undernourishment while food insecurity is about chronic deprivation of food over time. In 2021, more than 800 million people were affected by hunger, and around 2.3 billion people globally were food insecure. Though food insecurity is a problem globally, it is more prevalent in the developing world. For example, the prevalence of undernourishment is 9.8 per cent globally, while in South Asia it is nearly 16.9 per cent. It is ironic that farmers from developing countries who grow vegetables and fruits for the world often face food deprivation. The persistence of food insecurity across the globe is tied to the lack of food sovereignty or the lack of farmers’ control over the means of food production.
KL: Guide us through your journey from Srinagar to the State University of New York, University at Buffalo.
DSR: I am a trans-disciplinary scholar and a professor at the State University of New York, University at Buffalo. I was trained as a civil engineer as well as an urban planner. I completed an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia, a Master’s (in Housing) from the School of Architecture and Planning (New Delhi), and a PhD in urban planning (with a focus on fiscal impacts of land development). My career trajectory blended science, technology, engineering and urban planning. As a civil engineer, I was trained to build but not necessarily trained to think about why we build. Motivated by concerns about the impact of building on human health and health equity, I decided to pursue advanced training so I could use my engineering and urban planning skills in the service of health equity. Health equity is a condition in which all people in a society can lead healthy and full lives, including those with the fewest resources. This interest in equity led me to pursue a PhD in urban planning at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.
I recall the first class I completed during my PhD programme was about ethics, which, despite being an important aspect for all disciplines, is not widely discussed. The course focused on fundamental questions tied to equity, especially about why, and for whom, one should plan or build. The goals of the course were aligned with my values and satisfied my curiosity. As a PhD student, I was able to connect a values-based education to technical questions. Ultimately, my PhD focused on how urban planners measure the fiscal impacts of land development and the implications of such measurements for the well-being of present and future generations.
Prof Samina Raja heads the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities laboratory in the University of Buffalo, New York. Photograph by Alexender J Becker
In western urban planning, there is a concept called the ‘highest and best use of land’. Unfortunately, this concept has also been exported to Kashmir and South Asia. There is a heuristic notion that if, for example, farmland is converted into a commercial building, some see the conversion as a measure of development. In the US, cities pursue such development because it is presumed to generate money. This presumption is based on widespread, but outdated, measurement techniques that urban planners use to judge whether land development is “good” or “bad”. In my doctoral research, I measured the accuracy of these techniques using statistical models. I found that the common techniques that planners use to measure the fiscal impacts of development are flawed. In the subsequent body of scholarship for the last 20 years, I have found that misguided land use planning and development can be harmful to public well-being. To translate this simply: if you see a patch of farmland, or say, a paddy field, converted into a mansion and you think it’s a sign of progress, it turns out that it’s not. It’s complicated.
KL: Unlike our universities, PhD in the west is a systemic and systematic investment in an individual. Did your dissertation change anything?
DSR: In the long run, yes. Not immediately though. Translating research into action takes time. My dissertation generated more questions (about existing urban planning procedures) than offered immediate solutions. This, in my judgment, was the key to my long-term research success. One of the key questions that it generated was to push me (and planners) to rethink the utility of the so-called “land use hierarchy,” and it forced me to re-imagine ‘how to plan?’ It set me on a trajectory to develop tools and resources for local governments throughout the United States through a sub-field called food systems planning. Food systems planning questions the traditional way in which urban planning has occurred for decades across the globe. My research lab is the first one in the world that used urban planning to improve food systems (there are other labs now as well). So, I was able to take my learning from my dissertation and develop new – healthier ways – of planning cities. We develop technical assistance models and training for a variety of audiences including researchers, city governments, and international organizations. I have been doing research for more than 20 years but I couldn’t tell you the immediate impact of my dissertation. Cumulatively, my research has generated tools that have helped cities, towns, and other types of communities plan in more equitable, sustainable, and healthy ways.
KL: What has been the contribution of your lab?
DSR: As I noted earlier, our research team is one of the earliest in the world to study and develop urban planning strategies for building equitable, healthy, and sustainable food systems and communities. We are an interdisciplinary team so we use quantitative methods as well as qualitative methods to understand the impact of the built environment on human health (at any given time our collaborators include geographers, physicians, public health experts, urban planners, policy scholars, and computer science experts). With Geographic Information Systems (GIS), surveying, and other technologies, we monitor the impact of urban planning on human health. We have published work that shows disparities in the built environment, as well as the impact of the design and quality of one’s neighbourhood on the incidence of chronic diseases.
Our lab is well known for translating research into policy guidance, training, and action on the ground. To give some examples, in the US, I led the writing of the Planners Guide to Community and Regional Planning for the American Planning Association, the largest professional association of urban planners in the US (2008). Because local governments in the US needed training to enact plans that promote healthy and equitable food systems (only 1 per cent of local governments in the US reported being equipped to engage in food systems planning), in 2012, my team launched the Growing Food Connections, a national initiative that provides guidance to US local governments on food systems planning. This initiative, which received US $3.96 million from the US government, is a game changer because it provides easy access to information to local governments across the United States. Planning to protect food systems and health is a new sub-field even in the US and globally. So, my lab’s contribution has been to change the field of urban planning in the United States.
Similarly, our work has also expanded globally. My team has authored guidance on local government planning for food systems for the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations. Our lab routinely aids local governments across the United States to better understand the impact of plans on food systems and human health (in Kashmir these are called Master Plans).
KL: What have been the major findings of your investigations or academic probes?
DSR: We have a lot of different studies, so it is difficult to summarize 20 years’ worth of work. That said, I will summarize the major findings by saying that urban planning without considering the health and food system is perilous to the health and well-being of current and future generations. Here are some examples: Scientific results show that urban planning patterns (USA) undermine the health and well-being of marginalized people, especially the Black, immigrant, and indigenous peoples (we have many different studies showing this). Poor urban planning has especially harmed human health by encouraging automobile-centric land use patterns (e.g., four-lane highways are privileged over farmland). On aggregate, such land use patterns discourage physical activity (walking) and limit communities’ ability to grow their own food. The US has high rates of chronic disease – much of these can be attributed to such environmental changes.
New models of planning from our studies suggest that planning for healthy, equitable, and sustainable cities will benefit from protecting the food system. We have found that science can learn from the experiences of farmers on how to plan and design communities. So, in one of the UN-supported projects we tracked farmers’ experiences in different parts of the world (Jamaica, Ghana, and India) to understand the impact of urban planning. The findings of the study are straightforward and will not surprise anybody. Today, globally, urban planning decisions are being implemented to undermine food sovereignty and food security. They are especially undermining farmland preservation and farming.
This is also true in Kashmir as land use change is harming smallholder farmers. On the flip side we have noticed that in some places, in fact also in Srinagar, even though urban planning land use decisions are negatively impacting farmers, small-scale farmers are trying to resist bad urban planning decisions. Farmers are, in many ways, at the frontline of protecting the health of their community. For example, nutrition rates and food security rates in the Srinagar district are better than in many parts of South Asia including the Indian subcontinent. One plausible reason is that historically Kashmiris have had egalitarian land ownership patterns, where people make use of their land holdings to grow vegetables for themselves and others. Protecting land and using it to grow food for oneself is a health-enabling practice. So even though negative urban planning decisions are impacting people’s health, farmers are protecting the health of people. I think Kashmiris must understand that you must protect their local food supply chain; you can eat, buy and consume Kashmiri food that is not processed. That means food on your dastarkhaan needs to come from a nearby farm or vaer. Eating haakh (Collard Greens) is better than eating any other packaged food that travels from distant places. So, if the food comes wrapped in packages cut it out of your diet, and if it comes from the soil eat it! I would say that we are learning through our studies that many traditional Kashmiri ideas were far healthier than some of the so-called modern ways.
KL: If you are told to reconstruct Srinagar tomorrow, what will you do?
DSR: My answer will likely surprise some people in Kashmir, especially given how I observe planning to unfold in Kashmir. The first thing I would do is sit down with people to understand their aspirations for Srinagar. The idea that a planner is a genius with grand ideas is bogus. I am sorry to put it just plainly. The idea of an urban planner or a government deciding what is good for a city is an exported model from the West. The best ideas come from the community. In the case of Srinagar, if I could, I would sit with farmers in Srinagar and ask them how they would protect the future of their neighbourhood, and how they would develop the area so that it is protected for them and their community. Then, this process would generate context-sensitive ideas for how to plan for healthy land use (this is a process that my team has used in other parts so the world, for example).
So, planning is not only a scientific-technical exercise. It is an exercise to understand the problem at hand and return power to the people. I can give examples of prescriptions and models that work elsewhere but the first answer is: all planning must begin with inclusive and equitable processes that privilege people with the least amount of power. In Srinagar, these people are farmers. We depend on the farmers, but we are not listening to them.
It must be said that Srinagar has quite a brilliant policy framework (in its master plan). I have reviewed it very closely and I followed the process as well. It recognizes the unique ecology of the city, and its unique heritage, and lays out a framework that is comparable to many plans globally. However, the policy framework and the implementation guidelines are inconsistent. That said, here are some practical steps to consider: protect the land from conversion and development. In Kashmir, we are blessed with fertile lands and water bodies, but we are putting driveways, roads, highways, flyovers, and malls on them (I have seen a hotel construction in a flood channel of all the places). All of this so-called development is bad for human health (and the environment). Globally cities are adding green infrastructure such as bioswales, community gardens, urban farms, edible landscapes, etc., but unfortunately, Srinagar is destroying its existing natural green infrastructure (In city of Montreal, Canada they are literally dismantling flyovers but in Srinagar, we are building them).
Some may say Srinagar needs flyovers for reduced traffic congestion and mobility. I would agree that we need reduced congestion and mobility – but evidence from around the world shows that roads and flyovers (and cars) are not the way to improve mobility (proximity to highways is linked to a higher incidence of asthma, for example). There should be investments in ecologically sensitive and healthy forms of travel, including pedestrian, bicycle, bus, and trolley-based travel infrastructure. If you visit older European cities or even Global South cities, we see the use of electric trolleys–that may be a good substitute here.
Until urban planning looks different in Kashmir, Kashmiris can also take matters into their hand: consider not building cement/concrete driveways within your homes – opt for surfaces that allow water to percolate into the ground; bicycle or walk rather than drive a car (if you can), and, grow and eat your own local food.
KL: We live in an era where we are capable of altering the genes of life forms. Genetically Modified food is one such example. Where do you place yourself on the ethical debate of using GM foods?
DSR: One of the things about scientists and researchers is that they don’t answer questions that are outside of their domain. So, I will politely say that I am not going to answer that question, but I will tell you who can. A brilliant and amazing colleague at SKUAST named Dr Khalid Masood with who I have worked can answer this question. He could probably do genetic modifications in his sleep! You should ask him. I remember when I visited his research lab, there was a poster over the door, which said, and I quote, “Yes we can clone dinosaurs but is it a good idea?” That said, I will redirect your question to ask why aren’t we using our scientific skills to protect those plants and foods that are indigenous and good for us, for example, haakh (collard greens). With a number of colleagues in Kashmir including Athar Parvaiz, Khalid Masoodi, Shakeel Romshoo, and others, we are trying to document the power of haakh for human health as well as environmental health. Briefly, haakh is from the Brassica family. It is nutritious, it is cheap, it is culturally celebrated, and it is available locally. For goodness sake, tell me why do we need genetically modified food when we have this amazing vegetable. I encourage people to follow Dr Khalid Masoodi’s work who will hopefully share his result on haakh in the near future.
