M. Shahidul Islam

M. Shahidul Islam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Delaware State University. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from Memorial University (2008), an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2022), and postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago and University of Waterloo. His research focuses on computationally aided drug discovery, infectious disease mechanisms (e.g., SARS-CoV-2), cancer immunotherapeutics, genetic disorders like PKU, and opto-electronic polymer design using AI/machine learning.

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago (2016)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Waterloo
• PhD, Chemistry, Memorial University (2008)
• MBA, University of Illinois at Chicago (2022)

Research Highlights

Dr. Islam’s work integrates computational methods with experimental validation to address global health challenges. Key areas include:

• Designing ACE2 decoy receptors to counter SARS-CoV-2 variants
• Investigating resistance mutations in viral proteases (e.g., 3CLpro)
• Developing AI-driven approaches for de novo protein design
• Optimizing conjugated polymers for low-cost opto-electronic applications
• Identifying genetic mutations underlying diseases like Tay-Sachs and PKU

Grants & Collaborations

• NIH Grant (P30 GM145765): $100,000 to study PAH mutations in PKU
• NIH Grant (U54 MD015959): $1.6M for interdisciplinary cancer research
• NSF ACCESS Grant: National supercomputer access for SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor design

Professional Activities

Serves as a reviewer for Journal of Physical Chemistry, Nature Protocols, and others. Active in the Biophysical Society and American Chemical Society.