Ahmed Shawn

Shawn Ahmed is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on telomere biology, germline immortality, and genome silencing using the model organism C. elegans. The Ahmed Lab investigates how germline cells achieve immortality, linking this to somatic longevity through pathways like the Piwi/piRNA silencing system and insulin/IGF1 signaling. Their work also explores telomerase dysfunction, chromosome fusions, and implications for human diseases such as cancer and aplastic anemia.

Research interests include understanding mechanisms behind epigenetic stress transmission in germ cells, telomere maintenance, and the role of telomerase in genome stability. The lab employs genetic, biochemical, and cell biology approaches, with recent extensions to human genome studies. The lab’s findings bridge fundamental biology with potential clinical applications in aging and disease.

Ahmed Lab Website