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Hire Sayed Afzal S.

Pakistan

USD 25 /hr

Botanical Taxonomy Specialist | Biodiversity Surveys & Research Support

Profile Summary

I am Dr. Sayed Afzal Shah, a professional plant taxonomist, biodiversity consultant, and scientific writer with over a decade of experience in academic research, herbarium curation, and applied plant sciences. I hold a PhD in Plant Sciences from Quaid-i-Azam University and currently serve as Assistant Professor at the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Pakistan. My expertise includes plant identification, taxonomy, biodiversity surveys, ethnomedicinal documentation, phytochemistry, and herbarium management. I have successfully led multiple funded projects, including the establishment of the NUMS Herbarium, geo-taxonomic informatics of medicinal plants, and authenticity monitoring in medicinal plant research. My work has resulted in the discovery of five new plant species, exclusion of misidentified taxa, and publication of 60 peer-reviewed articles and 5 book chapters, with an h-index of 21 and over 2700 citations. Freelance Services Offered: Accurate plant identification and classification for research, conservation, and industry projects Provision of plant research samples Biodiversity surveys and ecological assessments for NGOs, universities, and environmental organizations Herbarium curation and digital cataloging to international standards Scientific writing, editing, and peer review for journals, reports, and grant proposals Curriculum design and training in plant sciences, biotechnology, and phytochemistry Consulting on ethnomedicinal plants and phytochemical research for product development and validation With a strong foundation in both academic research and practical fieldwork, I provide precise, reliable, and outcome-driven expertise to support projects in biodiversity documentation, conservation consulting, scientific communication, and curriculum development.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Botany
• ☆ Ethnobotany
• ☆ Medicinal Plants
• ☆ Ecology
• ☆ Biodiversity
• ☆ Herbal Medicine

Services

• Writing
• Research

Writing General Proofreading & Editing

Research Scientific and Technical Research

Work Experience

Assistant Professor

National University of Medical Sciences

September 2020 - Present

Research Fellow

National Agriculture Research Center

August 2019 - December 2019

National Agriculture Research Center

March 2016 - March 2019

Qarshi

May 2013 - March 2014

Education

PhD (Plant Sciences)

Quaid-i-Azam University

February 2014 - Present

MPhil

Quaid-i-Azam University

March 2011 - March 2013

Certifications

• From seed to plant: Storage, germination and establishment of wild plant species

  Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP)

  January 2026 - Present

• Effective Poster Design

  National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC)

  January 2022 - Present

• Fundamentals of project management

  Higher Education Commission in collaboration with Oxon Global

  March 2021 - Present

• National Faculty Development Program (NDFP)

  National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC)

  May 2020 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Sayed Afzal Shah, Surat Un Nisa, Kerry O’Donnell, Hussain Badshah, Abdul Samad Mumtaz (2025). Genetic diversity of true morels ( Morchella ) in Pakistan inferred from multilocus DNA sequence data augmented by a retrospective analysis of Pakistani and Indian morel sequences in GenBank . Mycologia.

Sayed Afzal Shah, Surat Un Nisa, Hussain Badshah, Abdul Samad Mumtaz (2025). First report of Morchella galilaea, an autumn species from Pakistan, based on multilocus DNA sequences, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analyses . Microscopy Research and Technique.

Sayed Afzal Shah, Amir Sultan, Amjad Khan, Saeeda Naz, Ziba Jamzad(2024). NEPETA MARGALLAICA (MENTHEAE: NEPETOIDEAE: LAMIACEAE): A NEW SPECIES FROM THE MARGALLA HILLS, PAKISTAN . Edinburgh Journal of Botany. 81. p. 1–13.

Sayed Afzal Shah, Amir Sultan, Amjad Khan, Saeeda Naz, Ziba Jamzad (2024). NEPETA MARGALLAICA (MENTHEAE: NEPETOIDEAE: LAMIACEAE): A NEW SPECIES FROM THE MARGALLA HILLS, PAKISTAN . Edinburgh Journal of Botany.

SAYED AFZAL SHAH, AMJAD KHAN, AMIR SULTAN, RAEES KHAN, NAZAR KHAN, ABDUL SAMAD MUMTAZ, MUHAMMAD KALEEM, MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH, WAHIDAH H. AL-QAHTANI, TAHIR KHAN (2024). Morpho-anatomical and palynotaxonomic study of the genus Onobrychis Miller (Hedysareae—Fabaceae) in Pakistan, and its systematic significance . Phytotaxa.

Sayed Afzal Shah, Amjad Khan, Amir Sultan (2024). Astragalus roseocephalus, a new species of section Poliothrix from Pakistan . Nordic Journal of Botany.

I. Ali, K. B. H. Salah, H. Sher, H. Ali, Z. Ullah, A. Ali, N. Alam, S. A. Shah, J. Iqbal, M. Ilyas, et al. (2024). Drought stress enhances the efficiency of floral dip method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana . Brazilian Journal of Biology.

SAYED AFZAL SHAH, AMJAD KHAN, MUSHTAQ AHMAD, MUHAMMAD ZAFAR, ROZINA (2022). Systematic significance of pollen morphology in rare endemic taxa of Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) . Phytotaxa.

Sayed Afzal Shah and Amir Sultan and Jun Wen and Zahid Ullah and Surat Un Nisa and Zhumei Ren and Muhammad Maqsood Alam and Javed Iqbal and Abdul Samad Mumtaz(2021). Taxonomy of Vincetoxicum s.str. (Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae) from southern Asia including three new species and resurrected names . PhytoKeys. 179. p. 35--73. Pensoft Publishers

Sayed Afzal Shah, Amir Sultan, Jun Wen, Zahid Ullah, Surat Un Nisa, Zhumei Ren, Muhammad Maqsood Alam, Javed Iqbal, Abdul Samad Mumtaz(2021). Taxonomy of Vincetoxicum s.str. (Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae) from southern Asia including three new species and resurrected names . PhytoKeys. 179. p. 35--73. Pensoft Publishers

Haq, Z.U., Khan, S.M., Ahmad, Z., Abdullah, Shah, S.A., Mustafa, G., Razzaq, A., Manan, F., Ullah, A., Hussain, M.(2020). An evaluation of conservation status and ecological zonation of alnus nitida; a monophyletic species of the sino-japanese region . Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences. 30. (5). p. 1224-1235.

Sajid, M., Khan, M.R., Ismail, H., Latif, S., Rahim, A.A., Mehboob, R., Shah, S.A.(2020). Antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of Alnus nitida leaves in alloxan induced diabetic rats . Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 251.

Zahra, Z., Khan, M.R., Shah, S.A., Maryam, S., Majid, M., Younis, T., Sajid, M.(2020). Vincetoxicum arnottianum ameliorate inflammation by suppressing oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory mediators in rat . Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 252.

Maryam, S., Khan, M.R., Shah, S.A., Zahra, Z., Batool, R., Zai, J.A.(2019). Evaluation of anti-inflammatory potential of the leaves of Wendlandia heynei (Schult.) Santapau & Merchant in Sprague Dawley rat . Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 238.

Alam, M.M., Mumtaz, A.S., Hallenbeck, P.C., Shah, S.A., Abidin, S.Z.U., Inam, F.(2019). Morphological characterization, growth appraisal, and probing biofuels potential of newly isolated Scenedesmus sp. from desert Cholistan . Microscopy Research and Technique. 82. (12). p. 2079-2088.

Iqbal, J., Abbasi, B.A., Ahmad, R., Batool, R., Mahmood, T., Ali, B., Khalil, A.T., Kanwal, S., Afzal Shah, S., Alam, M.M., et al.(2019). Potential phytochemicals in the fight against skin cancer: Current landscape and future perspectives . Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 109. p. 1381-1393.

Hussain, W., Badshah, L., Shah, S.A., Hussain, F., Ali, A., Shah, S.-U.-L., Sultan, A.(2019). Salvia reflexa (Lamiaceae): A new record for Pakistan . Plant Science Today. 6. (1). p. 17-21.

Ni sa, S.U., Shah, S.A., Mumtaz, A.S., Sultan, A.(2019). Stomatal novelties in Vincetoxicum arnottianum (Asclepiadeae: Asclepiadoideae: Apocynaceae) . Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 260.

Nejad, A.S.M., Bahmani, M., Shah, N.A., Shah, S.A., Rafieian-Kopaei, M.(2018). Beliefs of herbal therapies of the community of the Ilam city of Ilam province, Iran . Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacognosy Research. 6. (4). p. 299-317.

Iqbal, J., Abbasi, B., Khalil, A., Ali, B., Mahmood, T., Kanwal, S., Shah, S., Ali, W.(2018). Dietary isoflavones, the modulator of breast carcinogenesis: Current landscape and future perspectives . Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. 11. (3). p. 186-193.

Badshah, H., Ali, B., Shah, S.A., Alam, M.M., Aly, H.I., Mumtaz, A.S.(2018). First record of Morchella pulchella from Pakistan . Mycotaxon. 133. (1). p. 201-207.

Ovais, M., Ayaz, M., Khalil, A.T., Shah, S.A., Jan, M.S., Raza, A., Shahid, M., Shinwari, Z.K.(2018). HPLC-DAD finger printing, antioxidant, cholinesterase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory potentials of a novel plant Olax nana . BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 18. (1).

Maryam, S., Khan, M.R., Shah, S.A., Zahra, Z., Majid, M., Sajid, M., Ali, S.(2018). In vitro antioxidant efficacy and the therapeutic potential of Wendlandia heynei (Schult.) Santapau & Merchant against bisphenol A-induced hepatotoxicity in rats . Toxicology Research. 7. (6). p. 1173-1190.

Iqbal, J., Abbasi, B.A., Ahmad, R., Mahmood, T., Ali, B., Khalil, A.T., Kanwal, S., Shah, S.A., Alam, M.M., Badshah, H., et al.(2018). Nanomedicines for developing cancer nanotherapeutics: from benchtop to bedside and beyond . Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 102. (22). p. 9449-9470.

Iqbal, J., Abbasi, B.A., Batool, R., Mahmood, T., Ali, B., Khalil, A.T., Kanwal, S., Shah, S.A., Ahmad, R.(2018). Potential phytocompounds for developing breast cancer therapeutics: Nature's healing touch . European Journal of Pharmacology. 827. p. 125-148.

Ali, S., Khan, M.R., Shah, S.A., Batool, R., Maryam, S., Majid, M., Zahra, Z.(2018). Protective aptitude of Periploca hydaspidis Falc against CCl<inf>4</inf> induced hepatotoxicity in experimental rats . Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 105. p. 1117-1132.

Abbasi, B.A., Iqbal, J., Mahmood, T., Khalil, A.T., Ali, B., Kanwal, S., Shah, S.A., Ahmad, R.(2018). Role of dietary phytochemicals in modulation of miRNA expression: Natural swords combating breast cancer . Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. 11. (9). p. 501-509.

Iqbal, J., Abbasi, B.A., Ahmad, R., Mahmood, T., Kanwal, S., Ali, B., Khalil, A.T., Shah, S.A., Alam, M.M., Badshah, H.(2018). Ursolic acid a promising candidate in the therapeutics of breast cancer: Current status and future implications . Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 108. p. 752-756.

Shah, S.A., Sultan, A., Wen, J., Nisa, S.U., Su, X., Iqbal, J., Mumtaz, A.S.(2018). Vincetoxicum luridum (Asclepiadeae, asclepiadoideae, apocynaceae), a new and long misunderstood endemic species from Balochistan, Pakistan . Phytotaxa. 357. (2). p. 117-125.

Liu, Y.-P., Su, X., Luo, W.-C., Lv, T., Chen, K.-L., Harris, A.J., Shah, S.A.(2017). Development of SSR Markers from Transcriptomes for Orinus (Poaceae), an Endemic of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau . Applications in Plant Sciences. 5. (7).

Sajid, M., Khan, M.R., Shah, S.A., Majid, M., Ismail, H., Maryam, S., Batool, R., Younis, T.(2017). Investigations on anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Alnus nitida Spach (Endl). stem bark in Sprague Dawley rats . Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 198. p. 407-416.

Iqbal, J., Abbasi, B.A., Mahmood, T., Kanwal, S., Ali, B., Shah, S.A., Khalil, A.T.(2017). Plant-derived anticancer agents: A green anticancer approach . Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 7. (12). p. 1129-1150.

Bahmani, M., Mozaffari Nejad, A.S., Shah, N.A., Shah, S.A., Rafieian-Kopaei, M., Mahmoodnia, L.(2017). Survey on ethnobotanical uses of anti-cancer herbs in southern region of Ilam, west Iran . Journal of Biological Research (Italy). 90. (1).

Rahman, F., Ahmad, M., Zafar, M., Mumtaz, A.S., Shah, S.A.(2017). Taxonomic implications of foliar epidermis in Impatiens (Balsaminaceae): Investigating 12 Pakistani taxa as an example . Plant Biosystems. 151. (4). p. 642-648.

Shah, S.A., Shah, N.A., Ullah, S., Alam, M.M., Badshah, H., Ullah, S., Mumtaz, A.S.(2016). Documenting the indigenous knowledge on medicinal flora from communities residing near Swat River (Suvastu) and in high mountainous areas in Swat-Pakistan . Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 182. p. 67-79.

Ali, U., Naveed, M., Ullah, A., Ali, K., Shah, S.A., Fahad, S., Mumtaz, A.S.(2016). L-asparaginase as a critical component to combat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL): A novel approach to target ALL . European Journal of Pharmacology. 771. p. 199-210.

Sajid, M., Khan, M.R., Shah, N.A., Shah, S.A., Ismail, H., Younis, T., Zahra, Z.(2016). Phytochemical, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Alnus nitida bark in carbon tetrachloride challenged Sprague Dawley rats . BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 16. (1).

Fazli, R., Mumtaz, A.S., Shah, S.A.(2015). Psilotum nudum: A new pteridophyte record for the Cryptogamic Flora of Pakistan . Pakistan Journal of Botany. 47. (2). p. 493-494.

Ullah, S., Rashid Khan, M., Ali Shah, N., Afzal Shah, S., Majid, M., Asad Farooq, M.(2014). Ethnomedicinal plant use value in the Lakki Marwat District of Pakistan . Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 158. (PartA). p. 412-422.

Shah, S.A., Ahmad, M.(2014). Reassessing palynological characters in the subfamilies Periplocoideae and Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae): Taxonomic and evolutionary implications . Palynology. 38. (2). p. 224-234.