Title: Senior Research Associate
Company: Henry Ford Health
Location: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Abir Ashfakur Rahman, senior research associate at Henry Ford Health, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in health care and research.
Dr. Rahman, an experienced molecular biologist, neurogeneticist and senior research associate in the hypertension and vascular research division at Henry Ford Health in Detroit since 2020, is devoted to hypertension, focusing heavily on lipid metabolism and obesity. As such, he conducts experiments with cell cultures and experimental mice, collects and analyzes physiological data and prepares it for analysis, and participates in additional research to understand molecular factors affecting hypertension.
Henry Ford Health is a leading health care and medical services provider in the Southwest Detroit region. The organization has served the area for over a century and is comprised of six hospitals, multiple outpatient facilities, pharmacies and laboratory service centers.
Before having the opportunity to work at Henry Ford Health, Dr. Rahman spent over a decade at Arizona State University, Georgia State University, Boise State University, the University of Kentucky, and the school of medicine at Tulane University as an undergraduate and graduate researcher, teaching assistant, postdoctoral scholar and postdoctoral researcher between 2007 and 2020.
Dr. Rahman’s journey to his current position stems from his realization that he preferred to work in a collaborative environment instead of conducting independent research. As a staff associate, he is better able to contribute to experimental work, research design, and analysis while working closely with his supervisors on various concepts and projects, resulting in significant contributions to the research team.
In preparation for his future, Dr. Rahman acquired a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology from Arizona State University in 2008, a Master of Science in neurobiology and behavior from Georgia State University in 2012, and a Doctor of Philosophy in biochemistry and molecular biology from Boise State University in 2018. His doctoral research focused on addressing a long-standing controversy in neuroscience regarding neurogenesis in the adult brain and whether new neurons are generated in the substantia nigra, an area of the brain crucial for understanding Parkinson’s symptoms.
In addition to his degrees, Dr. Rahman received credentials from the CITI Program in biosafety and blood-borne pathogens, laboratory safety training, and undue foreign influence. These added accreditations have helped shape his career.
Dr. Rahman is active as a member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society. As a seasoned researcher, he has contributed numerous articles to professional journals, such as the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the European Journal of Neuroscience, and the International Journal of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology.
Lauded for his accomplishments, Dr. Rahman received an Outstanding Instructor Award from Georgia State University in 2012. While in college, he also received a Second Prize for the Best Graduate Research Poster from the National Institutes of Health at the 2015 Western IDeA conference and an Audience Choice Award at the Annual Graduate Student Showcase at Boise State University in 2017.
Dr. Rahman is grateful for his continued success at Henry Ford Health. His future goals include continually impacting the scientific field while acquiring a new position at his health care facility that will allow him to manage his own team, oversee their findings, and assist them in developing projects.
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