Hi! Welcome to my digital abode!

My name is Saeed, and I am a geneticist, translational researcher, and storyteller.

As a researcher, I am interested in understanding how genetic changes cause human diseases and how we can correct them. My interests center on inherited diseases of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, where even a tiny change in our genetic code can profoundly affect someone's life.

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I was born and raised in Bangladesh, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. My interest in human disease research is deeply personal. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand how some diseases could change not only a patient's life but also the futures of entire families. I studied clinical and hematological features of dengue and chikungunya outbreaks, spent hours in hospital delivery units collecting umbilical cord blood to develop an affordable newborn screening approach for thalassemia, and investigated the genetic and reproductive consequences of consanguineous marriage in Bangladesh. I also ventured into computational biology and field-based research, often working with whatever resources were available. Looking back, these seemingly diverse experiences taught me to improvise, ask questions, and appreciate how diseases affect people at molecular, individual, and population levels.
 

In 2019, I moved to Canada to pursue graduate studies in Medical Genetics at the University of Alberta. There, I shifted my focus from understanding diseases to developing therapies for them. Much of my work focused on antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), a type of short, synthetic DNA-like molecules, which I used to correct faulty genetic messages in rare musculoskeletal disorders. I combined these molecules with machine learning, nanotechnology, chemical modifications, and small-molecule enhancers to improve their efficacy and safety.

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I am currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University. Here, I am extending my background in genetic therapeutics into cardiovascular research and human disease modelling. I study inherited cardiomyopathies, cardiac fibrosis, and human aging using patient-derived stem cells, multi-omics, computational biology, and drug discovery approaches.

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Outside the lab, I write, teach, and advocate for science education. I have published seven science fiction books and more than a hundred popular science articles, taught computational biology, mentored aspiring researchers, and helped launch OnnoRokom BigganBaksho, the first children's science kit in Bangla. I strongly believe science should not remain confined to laboratories and academic journals. It should be understandable, accessible, and useful to the people it is meant to serve.

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And sometimes, I like to imagine the future in stories before trying to build it in real life.