Hi! I’m Mohammad Shamshad, born in Jamalpura, a small village in Tehsil Malerkotla (now District Malerkotla), formerly part of District Sangrur, Punjab, India. My educational journey reflects both humility and determination — beginning with early schooling at a local Madrasa through Class V, continuing at Islamia Senior Secondary School through Class VIII in Urdu medium, and completing Classes IX and X at the same school in Punjabi medium. I pursued senior secondary education (+1 and +2) in the Science stream (Medical) at a Government School, before embarking on a career in agricultural sciences.
I work as a Sugarcane Breeder at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, India 🇮🇳, with joint appointments at the Regional Research Station, Kapurthala and the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PAU. I lead sugarcane breeding research programs focused on the development of high-yielding clones with enhanced sugar content, resistant to diseases and pests, with improved ratooning ability (regrowth after harvest), early maturity, and adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions. My work additionally emphasizes broadening the genetic base through germplasm conservation and hybridization, integrating advanced tools like molecular markers, genomic selection, and biotechnology to accelerate breeding efficiency and genetic gain — and developing varieties suitable for multiple uses including sugar, bioethanol, and bioenergy, thereby supporting sustainable agriculture and contributing to societal welfare.
During my tenure as a Plant Breeder at the Regional Research Station, Faridkot, PAU, with an affiliation to the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PAU, I was actively involved in cotton improvement programs targeting the agro-ecological conditions of Punjab. My work focused on the development and evaluation of high-yielding cotton genotypes with superior fiber quality traits, including staple length, strength, and fineness. I contributed to hybridization and selection programs aimed at combining desirable agronomic traits with resistance to key pests such as bollworms and whitefly, as well as tolerance to cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV). Additionally, I participated in germplasm screening, field trials, and multi-location testing to identify stable and adaptable lines. Emphasis was also placed on early maturity and plant architecture suitable for the cotton–wheat cropping system, along with exploring modern breeding tools to enhance selection efficiency.
I worked as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Transforming India’s Green Revolution by Research and Empowerment for Sustainable food Supplies (TIGR2ESS) programme at the University of Cambridge, UK 🇬🇧, where my research focused on enhancing wheat’s resilience to heat and drought stress, critical for global wheat production amidst climate change. My work involved identifying and understanding the genetic, physiological, and molecular mechanisms that enable wheat to withstand extreme temperature and water scarcity conditions. This included mapping genes associated with heat and drought tolerance, using genetic markers for breeding more resilient wheat varieties, and exploring plant traits like water use efficiency and root architecture to improve wheat’s ability to survive in challenging conditions. The goal was to contribute to breeding programs that develop wheat varieties better equipped for these stresses, ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability and improving food security in regions affected by climate variability.
My work focuses 🎯 on the development and evaluation of high-yielding, disease-resistant, and abiotic stress-tolerant crops. shamshad.in is my blog to keep track 🗒️ of my projects and different HOW-TOs related to data 🔬 and tech 📡.
I am passionate about Agriculture and cutting-edge technologies. I have a solid 🖊️ understanding and rigorous 📌 hands-on experience in plant breeding, quantitative genetics, computational biology ⚙️ and high-throughput phenotyping, earned during my academic and research work with plant breeders/geneticists, bioinformaticians, and pathologists across my undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral career.
I have professional expertise in Plant Breeding, Quantitative Genetics, Genomics, and Computational Biology. I am passionate about Experimental Design, Data Analysis, and Visualization using R, SAS, JMP SAS, Python, UNIX/Linux, HTML/CSS, Git, and GitHub. I also have hands-on laboratory experience in DNA extraction, PCR, Gel Electrophoresis, and Microscopy 🔬.
Education
PhD in Plant Breeding & Genetics, 2019University of Bristol 
University of Nottingham
Punjab Agricultural University
Punjab Agricultural University, 2014
Interests and Hobbies 👨💻📝🪴🏋️
Breeding and Genetics
AI for Plant Breeding
Knowledge sharing
Data Science
Writing
Gardening
GymEarly Schooling
- Classes IX–X · Islamia Senior Secondary School (Punjabi medium)
- Classes VI–VIII · Islamia Senior Secondary School (Urdu medium)
- Classes I–V · Local Madrasa, Jamalpura, Malerkotla
Apart from my scientific pursuits 🕌 ♻️, I also enjoy coding, developing programs 🚩, spending time with friends 😇 and family 👨👩👧👧. I grew up 🌱 in India 🇮🇳 and speak Punjabi, English 🇬🇧, Hindi, Urdu, and a little French 🇫🇷.
I am someone who takes initiative 🍼 and stays curious 🦅.
Feel free to contact me 📩 if you find my blog useful, think I might be a good fit, or simply want to connect 🏅.