Education   Work Experiences   Distinction   Awards and memberships   Research Interests   Academic Services   Technical Skills   Publications  Refereed Conference Proceedings   Talks and Presentations   

Education and Training:              


• BSc, Physics, Mathematics, 1995-1997, Islamia College, Peshawar, Pakistan.
• MSc, Physics, 1998-2000, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan.
  • Thesis: A Review of Nuclear Models.
  • Supervisor: Prof. Fazal Ur Rehman.
• PhD Physics, 2001-2006 , Ohio University, USA.
  • Thesis: Computational Modeling of Calcium Signaling From the Nanoscale to Multicellular Systems.
  • Supervisor: Prof. Peter Jung.
• Postdoctoral Scholar Sep. 2006-Dec. 2008 , Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, USA.
  • Supervisor: Prof. Steven J. Schiff.
• Research Associate Jan. 2009-Present , Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, USA.
  • Supervisor: Prof. Steven J. Schiff.

Work Experience : 


• Lecturer, Dec. 2000- June. 2001 , Department of Physics, University of Peshawar.
  • Teaching (Courses): Statistical Mechanics, and Nuclear Physics.
• Teaching Assistant, Sep. 2001-May. 2003, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, USA.
• Research Assistant, June. 2003-Aug. 2006, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, USA.

Distinction:            


• 2001: "First position" in the University and State in M.Sc. from the Department of Physics, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. , ,

Awards and Memberships:                


• 2005-Present: Member of American Physical Society..
• 2005-Present: Member of Division of Biophysics, American Physical Society.
• 2001: Won Oriental Physics Award (awarded to the Physics students in Pakistan for getting first position in M.Sc. degree in Physics departments in the country)
• 2000: Recipient of University gold medal from University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan, for getting first position in M.Sc. degree in the University of Peshawar.
• 1998-2000: Merit Scholarships on B.Sc and M.Sc levels at the University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan..
• 1992-1995: District Scholarship Award for the best college student.

Research Interests :                


• My research interests are Instabilities in the neuronal network, and Calcium signaling at subcellular and multicellular levels.
  I use computational modeling to study the instabilties in neuronal network. Specifically I look at siezure like instabilties induced by glial cells in otherwise normally working neuronal networks.
  In calcium dynamics I look at the characteristics of elementary calcium release events called calcium "puffs" and "blips", their evolution into global calcium waves and oscillations, and the effects on the behavior of the systems at various levels.
  

Academic Services                


• 2006:Judge at the Southeast Ohio District, Science Fair, Ohio University.
  
  
• 2004:Judge at the Ohio State Science Fair, Ohio State University.
  
  
• 2003:Judge at the Southeast Ohio District, Science Fair, Ohio University.
  
  

Technical Skills                


• Computational Biophysics/Neuroscience
  
  Mathematical modeling in cellular Biophysics and Neuroscience specially calcium dynamics, both deterministic and stochastic modeling of calcium signaling, ranging from elementary calcium release events on intracellular scale to the global response on intercellular level in various cell types.
  
  
• Analysis
  
  Generic real and complex function and functional analysis for Physics, differential equations and associated special functions, continuation, differentiation and integration theories, linear and multilinear algebra, bifurcation theory etc.
  
  
• Languages and Programing
  
  Fortran77/90, C++ and various utility script languages in UNIX and LINUX systems, reasonable knowledge of parallel programming on MPI (Message Passing Interface) architectures.
  
  
• Algorithm
  
  Runge-Kuta and Euler methods for time evolution of system, Forward difference and Crank- Nicholson methods for solving partial differential equations, Markov processes for stochastic problems, various interpolation and extrapolation methods, Hilbert transform for phase analysis of a signal, iteration methods for solving integral equations.
  
  
• Software and other utility scripts
  
  Scripting languages like Matlab, Mathematica and Maple for basic symbolic manipulation, XPPAUTO for bifurcation analysis, NEURON for neuronal modeling, data visualization packages; Gnuplot, Xmgr, Xfig, Xmgrace for plotting and basic analysis, Latex for writing scripts.
  
  

Publications : 


1. Ghanim Ullah and Steven J. Schiff, " Assimilating Seizure Dynamics ", PLoS Computational Biology, 6(5), e1000776 (2010).
   
   
2. Ghanim Ullah and Steven J. Schiff, " Models of Epilepsy ", Scholarpedia, 4(7), 1409 (2009).
   
   
3. Divya Swaminathan, Ghanim Ullah , and Peter Jung, " A simple sequential-binding model for Calcium puffs ", Chaos,19, 037109 (2009).
   
   
4. Ghanim Ullah and Steven J. Schiff, " Tracking and control of neuronal Hodgkin-Huxley dynamics ", Physical Review E, 79, 040901(R) (2009).
   
   
5. Ghanim Ullah , John R. Cressman, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff, "The influence of sodium and potassium dynamics on excitability, seizures, and the stability of persistent states: II. Network and glial dynamics. ", Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 26 (2009) 171.
   
   
6. John R. Cressman Jr. , Ghanim Ullah , Jokubas Ziburkus, Steven J. Schiff, and Ernest Barreto, " The influence of sodium and potassium dynamics on excitability, seizures, and the stability of persistent states: I. Single neuron dynamics. ", Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 26 (2009) 159.
   
   
7. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, and Khaled Machaca " Modelling Ca signaling differentiation during oocyte maturation", Cell Calcium, 42 (2007) 556
   
   
8. Ghanim Ullah and Peter Jung, " Modeling the statistics of elementary calcium release events ", Biophysical Journal, 90 (2006) 3485.
   
   
9. Ghanim Ullah , Peter Jung, and Ann H. Cornell-Bell, " Anti-phase calcium oscillations in Astrocytes via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate regeneration. ", Cell Calcium, 39 (2006) 197.
   
   
10. Peter Jung, Alexander Neiman, MKN Afghan, Suhita Nadkarni, and, Ghanim Ullah " Thermal activation by power-limited coloured noise. ", New Journal of Physics, 7 (2005) 17. .


Refereed Conference Proceedings : 


1. Ghanim Ullah , John R. Cressman, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff, "Modeling the interplay between interneuron and pyramidal cell during seizures. ", BMC Neuroscience 2008, 9(Suppl 1):P145, doi:10.1186/1471-2202-9-S1-P145
   
   
2. John R. Cressman Jr. , Ghanim Ullah , Jokubas Ziburkus, Steven J. Schiff2, and Ernest Barreto, " Ion concentration dynamics: mechanisms for bursting and seizing. ", BMC Neuroscience 2008, 9(Suppl 1):O9, doi:10.1186/1471-2202-9-S1-O9
   
   
3. Ghanim Ullah , John R. Cressman, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff, "The role of glia in seizures. ", BMC Neuroscience 2007, 8(Suppl 2):P28, doi:10.1186/1471-2202-8-S2-P28
   
   
4. John R. Cressman Jr. , Ghanim Ullah , Jokubas Ziburkus, Steven J. Schiff, and Ernest Barreto, " Slow potassium dynamics and seizure evolution. ", BMC Neuroscience 2007, 8(Suppl 2):P80, doi:10.1186/1471-2202-8-S2-P80
   .


Talks and Presentations : 


1. Ghanim Ullah and Steven J. Schiff , " Tracking and Control of Neuronal Hodgkin-Huxley Dynamics. ", SIAM conference of Dynamical Systems, Snowbird, UT, May 2009.
   
   
2. Ghanim Ullah , " Tracking and Controlling Neuronal Dynamics During Seizures. ", Ball State University, Physics Colloquium-April 23, 2009.
   
   
3. Ghanim Ullah and Steven J. Schiff , " Tracking and control of neuronal Hodgkin-Huxley dynamics. ", Engineering Principles in Biological Systems, Cold Spring Harbor Labs, NY, Dec 2008.
   
   
4. Ghanim Ullah, John R Cressman, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " Modeling the interplay between CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells and interneurons during seizure-like events. ", Annual Meeting, Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC, Nov 2008.
   
   
5. John R. Cressman, Ghanim Ullah, Jokubas Ziburkus, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " Ion concentration dynamics: mechanisms for bursting and seizing ", Annual Meeting, Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC, Nov 2008.
   
   
6. Ghanim Ullah, , John R Cressman, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " Modeling the interplay between pyramidal cells and interneurons during seizure. ", Computational Neuroscience Conference, Portland, OR, July 2008.
   
   
7. John R. Cressman, Ghanim Ullah, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " Ion concentration dynamics: mechanisms for bursting and seizing. ", Computational Neuroscience Conference, Portland, OR, July 2008.
   
   
8. Ghanim Ullah, , John R Cressman, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " The role of glia in seizures. ", Computational Neuroscience Conference, Toronto, Canada, July 2007.
   
   
9. John R. Cressman, Ghanim Ullah, Jokubas Ziburkus, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " Slow potassium dynamics and seizures. ", Computational Neuroscience Conference, Toronto, Canada, July 2007.
   
   
10. Ghanim Ullah, , John R Cressman, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " How glia modulate the stability of persistent neuronal activity: from working memory to seizures. ", SIAM conference on Dynamical Systems, Snowbird, UT, USA, May 2007.
    
    
11. John R. Cressman, Ghanim Ullah, Jokubas Ziburkus, Ernest Barreto, and Steven J. Schiff , " Slow potassium dynamics during seizures and spreading depression. ", SIAM conference on Dynamical Systems, Snowbird, UT, USA, May 2007.
    
    
12. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, Khaled Machaca, " Calcium Signaling differentiation during oocytes maturation. ", Anual SIAM/Life Science Meeting, July 2006.
    
    
13. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, " Calcium Signaling in single and multi-cellular systems. ", George Mason University, May 2006.
    
    
14. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, " A universal signal for egg activation at fertilization. ", 5th Annual Science Fair, Ohio University, May 2006.
    
    
15. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, " Statistical properties of elementary calcium release events (Puffs). ", APS March Meeting, March 2006.
    
    
16. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, " A theoretical investigation of the mechanism causing the differentiation in calcium signaling during Xenopus oocyte maturation. ", Open house (world year of Physics), Ohio University, November, 2005.
    
    
17. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, Ann H. Cornell-Bell, " Coordinated Ca oscillations in Astrocytes coupled through gap-junctional inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate diffusion. ", Applied and Computational Mathematics Department, Ohio University, November 2005.
    
    
18. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, " Calcium released through nano-clusters; the building blocks for calcium dynamics in various cell types . ", 4th Annual Science Fair, Ohio University, March 2005.
    
    
19. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, Ann H. Cornell-Bell, " Anti-phase calcium oscillations in Astrocytes via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate regene- ration. ", APS March Meeting, March 2005.
    
    
20. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, " Mathematical Modeling and Signal Transduction Workshop, ", Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University, January 2004.
    
    
21. Ghanim Ullah, Peter Jung, " Neuronal Dynamics Workshop, ", Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University, October 2002.