FOUNDERS

Dr. Tayyab Rehman is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of One Health Debates. He holds an M.Sc. in Zoology and a PhD in Molecular Microbial Genetics from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Following completion of his doctoral studies, he served in various public universities in academic and leadership roles.

At the Khyber Medical University Peshawar, beside his core responsibilities in teaching and research supervision, Dr. Rehman actively involved in institutional biosafety and quality management initiatives. He contributed to institutional Biosafety Program, served as Biosafety Officer (BSO) and Laboratory Quality Manager, and oversaw campus discipline and code of conduct as Chief Proctor of the university.  After retirement from the department of Molecular biology & Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, he joined a private university as Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. During his tenure of four years, he also served as Chief Proctor, Advisor Biorisk Management and campus Director.

His primary research interests within the One Health framework include antimicrobial resistance in highly pathogenic bacteria, transmission dynamics of zoonotic pathogens, proteomic analysis of RNA viruses, and the diagnosis and epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Dr. Rehman is committed to fostering a pragmatic and application-oriented approach among students, colleagues and community, encouraging the translation of scientific concepts into real-world practice across diverse professional settings. As a teacher, researcher, and knowledge professional, he strives to exceed expectations while remaining attentive to both the academic and psychosocial dimensions of teaching, training, research, and service.

Dr. Hafsah Muhammad is a Co-Founder of One Health Debates. She holds an M.Sc. and M.Phil. in Animal Science, and a PhD in Forensic Molecular Genetics. She completed her doctoral studies at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, UK.

In 2017, Dr. Hafsah joined the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University Peshawar  as a faculty member. She has taught postgraduate modules in biosafety, bioethics, One Health, and molecular biology, and has supervised several research projects.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, she has played a key role in institutional biosafety and regulatory compliance. She served as Biosafety Officer for the KMU Public Health Reference Laboratory and the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences. She coordinated the implementation of Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and High Reliability Organization activities. She established a Biosafety Skills Laboratory at the university and conducted structured training programs for laboratory personnel, security staff, janitorial teams, and other support staff.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020, Dr. Hafsah was actively engaged in pandemic preparedness and response efforts. Anticipating successive waves of infection, she organized the provincial  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter by forming multidisciplinary training teams, developing training materials, and conducting capacity-building sessions at hospitals, universities, and schools. She also provided technical consultancy to healthcare facilities in the province on the safe sampling, packaging, and transportation of suspected COVID-19 specimens.

Dr. Hafsah Muhammad currently serves as Head of the Department of Forensic Science and Toxicology at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Dr. Zilli Huma is a Co-Founder of One Health Debates. She holds an MBBS, FCPS, and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Glasgow, UK. She currently serves as Academic Director at Khyber Medical University (KMU) and is Professor of Anatomy at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences.

In her leadership capacity as Director of the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Dr. Huma strengthened the University Biosafety Program and played a pivotal role in organizing the Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL) at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her 15 years of academic and administrative experience, combined with exceptional management and mentoring capabilities, have significantly contributed to capacity building within the institution and among her colleagues, including fellow co-founders of One Health Debates.

Dr. Huma has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering inquisitive, proactive, and critically engaged scholars who are prepared to address emerging One Health challenges in the future.