Institute of Omics and Health Research

24/12/2025

IOHR signed MOU with Sarhad University of Science and Technology for the research project GEMPAK focusing on Youth Mental Health.

03/12/2025

02/12/2025

3rd Session of Youth Mental Health Awareness Session – A Successful Event!

The Youth Mental Health GEMPAK Initiative, organized in collaboration with the Department of Psychology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, and the Institute of Omics and Health Research (IOHR), was successfully conducted today.
We were honoured to have Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ayub, Professorial Research Fellow at University College London (UCL), UK, joined us online from London to share valuable insights on youth mental health, practical wellbeing strategies, and the importance of early help-seeking.

Special thanks to the participants and Dr. Mudasir Hussain, Head of Psychology Department, for welcoming and arranging the session.

Join the survey and shape mental health science in Pakistan. Participation is voluntary and confidential. (https://redcap.link/bsos1kyj)

02/12/2025

Youth Mental Health GEMPAK - 2nd Awareness Session Held at Kohat University of Science and Technology

We are pleased to announce the success of our 2nd awareness session on Youth Mental Health GEMPAK at Kohat University of Science and Technology. The session discussed major mental health challenges faced by youth and practical strategies for wellbeing.

Special thanks to the management of Kohat University of Science and Technology, Dr. Fawad Ali, Chairman ECT Department, and Dr. Abdul Wahab, Chairman Pharmacy Department, for their support and hosting Institute of Omics and Health Research (IOHR).

Join the survey and shape mental health science in Pakistan. Participation is voluntary and confidential. (https://redcap.link/bsos1kyj)

18/11/2025

Youth Mental Health GEMPAK - First Awareness Session Successfully Held at IMSciences, Peshawar

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Youth Mental Health GEMPAK initiative by the Institute of Omics and Health Research (IOHR), with our first awareness session held at IMSciences, Peshawar.

The session was delivered by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ayub, Professorial Research Fellow at University College London UK, who discussed the major mental health challenges faced by youth today, practical strategies for wellbeing, and the importance of early help-seeking rather than ignoring symptoms.

We are grateful to IMSciences Peshawar and Miss. Nida Syed Head of Psychology Department for hosting IOHR.

Together, we aim to build a healthier, better-informed generation.

Please visit the Survey Link. Participation is voluntary, confidential, and vital to shaping the science of mental health in Pakistan.
🔗 Join here → https://redcap.link/bsos1kyj

11/11/2025

🌟 Are You 18–25? Your Voice Can Shape Mental Health in Pakistan! 🌟

Join GEMPAK—a national study exploring how lifestyle, stress, sleep, social media, and genetics affect young people’s mental health.

✅ Quick online participation
✅ Stepwise questionnaires every 6 months
✅ Help researchers make real change in prevention & treatment
✅ Spread awareness and empower your peers

🎯 Why Participate?

Be a Mental Health Champion—Contribute to research that can improve support for young people.

Make Your Voice Count—Share your experiences to help your peers and universities build a healthier, happier campus.

💻 Sign up now: Participation is voluntary, confidential, and vital to shaping the science of mental health in Pakistan.

🔗 Join here → https://redcap.link/bsos1kyj
OR
🔗 Scan the QR Code in the advertisement shared.

03/11/2025

Youth Mental Health in Pakistan

Mental health challenges are shaped by a complex interplay of genes, environment, and lived experience—yet much of what we know comes from Western populations. In Pakistan, where nearly two-thirds of the population is under 30, these dynamics remain largely unstudied.

Adolescence and young adulthood (ages 18–25) represent a critical window for brain development, emotional regulation, and resilience-building. However, factors such as academic stress, social expectations, unemployment, and close-relative marriages may influence mental well-being in unique ways—and we don’t yet understand how.

That’s why the Institute of Omics and Health Research (IOHR) has initiated a nationwide, long-term youth mental health study, designed to uncover how biological and social factors interact over time.

📅 Participants (ages 18–25) will complete short online surveys every six months for four years, helping researchers:

1. Identify genetic and environmental risk factors for mental disorders

2. Explore resilience and coping mechanisms unique to our context

3. Develop evidence-based prevention and early detection strategies

Participation is voluntary, confidential, and vital to shaping the science of mental health in Pakistan.

🔗 Join here → https://redcap.link/bsos1kyj
OR
🔗 Scan the QR Code in the advertisement shared.

23/09/2025

13/05/2025

لاہور میں "پیچیدہ بیماریوں کی جینیاتی تحقیق" پر چار روزہ بین الاقوامی ورکشاپ کا کامیاب انعقاد

جینیاتی طب میں نوجوان محققین کی تربیت اور رہنمائی کا عزم

انسٹیٹیوٹ آف اوومکس اینڈ ہیلتھ ریسرچ (IOHR) کے زیرِ اہتمام "پیچیدہ بیماریوں کی جینیاتی تحقیق: GWAS بایوانفارمیٹکس اور ڈیٹا اینالیسس پر ایک مختصر کورس" کے عنوان سے ایک چار روزہ بین الاقوامی ورکشاپ کا کامیاب انعقاد نشاط ہوٹل، لاہور میں ہوا۔

ورکشاپ کا مقصد ذیابیطس، کینسر، شیزوفرینیا، اور بائی پولر ڈس آرڈر جیسے پیچیدہ امراض کی جینیاتی وجوہات کے مطالعہ کے لیے جدید ترین طریقہ کار اور عملی مہارت فراہم کرنا تھا۔

شرکاء کو تھیوری اور عملی تربیت دی گئی، جن میں شامل تھے:

جینوم وائیڈ اسوسی ایشن اسٹڈیز (GWAS)

جینیاتی رسک پیشن گوئی

مینڈیلین رینڈمائزیشن کے ذریعے وجوہاتی تعلق کا تجزیہ

تربیت کے دوران استعمال کیے گئے ٹولز میں شامل تھے: PLINK, R, Bash, FUMA, PRSice اور TwoSampleMR۔

👨‍🏫 بین الاقوامی ماہرین کی ٹیم:
پروفیسر ڈاکٹر کیرولین کوشن بیکر – یونیورسٹی کالج لندن (UCL)، برطانیہ

پروفیسر ڈاکٹر جم نولز – رٹگرز یونیورسٹی، امریکہ

ڈاکٹر ہائی لیانگ ہوانگ – ہارورڈ میڈیکل اسکول اور براڈ انسٹیٹیوٹ، امریکہ

ڈاکٹر محمد ایوب – UCL، برطانیہ

ڈاکٹر ارسلان حسن – براڈ انسٹیٹیوٹ آف MIT اینڈ ہارورڈ، امریکہ

ڈاکٹر کائی یوآن – براڈ انسٹیٹیوٹ آف MIT اینڈ ہارورڈ، امریکہ

پاکستان بھر سے منتخب کیے گئے محققین کو مکمل طور پر اسپانسر کیا گیا، جس میں سفر، رہائش، خوراک اور کورس فیس شامل تھی۔ اس ورکشاپ کا مقصد پاکستان میں جینیاتی تحقیق اور پریسیژن میڈیسن کے میدان میں مہارت پیدا کرنا تھا۔

ورکشاپ کے دوران درج ذیل اداروں میں تعلیمی دورے اور مشترکہ نشستیں بھی منعقد ہوئیں:

بے نظیر بھٹو ہسپتال، شعبہ نفسیات، راولپنڈی
راولپنڈی میڈیکل یونیورسٹی
شفاء انٹرنیشنل ہسپتال، اسلام آباد
پنجاب انسٹیٹیوٹ آف مینٹل ہیلتھ، لاہور

یہ ورکشاپ بین الاقوامی تعاون اور نفسیاتی و پیچیدہ بیماریوں کی جینیاتی تحقیق کے فروغ میں ایک اہم سنگ میل ثابت ہوئی۔

13/05/2025

🧬 Genomics & Psychiatry | April 8, 2025
A powerful session at Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) featuring global experts in psychiatric genomics and mental health research.

🎙️ Speakers included:
🔹 Prof. Karoline Kuchenbaecker (UCL, UK) – Intro to Genomics & Clinical Applications
🔹 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hailiang Huang (Harvard/Broad, USA) – Psychiatric Genomics Today
🔹 Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ayub (UCL, UK) – Psychiatric Research in Pakistan

12/05/2025

🧬 Genomics for Precision Medicine | April 7, 2025
A fantastic session at Shifa International Hospital with insights from:
👩‍⚕️ Dr. Karoline Kuchenbäcker (UCL, UK)
👨‍⚕️ Dr. Hailiang Huang (Harvard/MGH)
💡 Discussing how genomics enhances diagnosis & treatment in precision medicine.

12/05/2025

🧬 Decoding the Genetics of Complex Diseases: GWAS Bioinformatics Short Course – Day 4 Highlights

We wrapped up our 4-day, 12 April 2025, course with a powerful deep dive into fine-mapping and polygenic risk scores.
🔹 In-depth lecture on polygenic scores and their applications in genetic risk prediction
🔹 Hands-on practicals using real data for PRS and FUMA analyses
🔹 Introduction to FUMA, a key tool for post-GWAS functional mapping
🔹 Engaging roundtable on careers, publishing, and ethics in genomics
🔹 A warm and inspiring closing to a week of discovery, skills-building, and collaboration

Thank you to all our participants, speakers, and organizers for making this workshop a success!