Shamim Ahmed

Graduate Student

Program:
IBMS Neuroscience Discipline

Lab Association:
Hye Young Lee, Ph.D.

Personal Statement:

My academic journey began with an enduring fascination for synaptic plasticity and its central role in learning, memory, and neurological disease. This early curiosity matured into a focused research interest in the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving neurodevelopmental disorders. As a PhD student in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program at UT Health San Antonio, I am currently investigating the role of microglial Fmr1 in synaptic pruning and circuit maturation in Fragile X syndrome. My research integrates genetic manipulation techniques—including CRISPR/Cas9—with cellular, molecular, and behavioral analyses to uncover mechanisms of impaired synaptic pruning. Because synaptic pruning is a critical process underlying experience-dependent plasticity, disruptions in this process may directly impair long-term circuit refinement and plasticity. I am also exploring non-viral gene editing as a therapeutic strategy, with an emphasis on improving delivery efficiency, minimizing immunogenicity, and enhancing cell-type specificity for translational application in neurodevelopmental disorders. Through this work, I aim to contribute to the development of targeted interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders and build a research career focused on gene-based modulation of brain function.

Education

North South University, School of Health and Life Sciences - Dhaka, Bangladesh
Master of Pharmacy in Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy - May 2018 ‒ December 2019

North South University, School of Health and Life Sciences - Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bachelor of Pharmacy - May 2013 ‒ December 2017

Research

Investigating the role of microglial Fmr1 in synaptic pruning and circuit development in Fragile X syndrome
Developing and evaluating non-viral delivery vehicles for CRISPR-based gene editing as a therapeutic strategy to restore synaptic function in Fragile X syndrome

Awards & Accomplishments

2025 – Outstanding Poster Presentation, Cellular and Integrative Physiology (CIP) Research Day, UTHSCSA

Affiliations

2021 – 2022 Brand Executive, Specialty Products Division, Radiant Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh

2020 – 2021 Research Assistant, Neuropharmacology Lab, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Publications

1. Bushra Zaman, Irona Mostafa, Tazree Hassan, Shamim Ahmed, Nusrat Esha, Fowzia Chowdhury, Tory Bosu, Humayra Chowdhury, Shanjid Islam, Ayesha Sharmin, Mainul Hossain, Kabir M. Uddin, Mahbubur Rahman

Tolperisone hydrochloride improves motor functions in Parkinson’s disease via MMP-9 inhibition and by downregulating p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling cascade.

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116438

2. Gulixian Tuluwengjiang, Irodakhon Rasulova, Shamim Ahmed, Bahman Kiasari, Ioan Sârbu, Carmen Ciongradi, Farah Hussain, Mahmood Jawad, Roxana Yolanda, Thamer Hani, Natrayan Lakshmaiya, Severo Samaniego

Dendritic cell-derived exosomes (Dex); underlying the role of exosomes derived from diverse DC subtypes in cancer pathogenesis.

Pathology – Research and Practice. 2024. 155097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2024.15509

3. ‎Shamim Ahmed, Ariful Haque Abir, Ozayra Sharmin, Neda Khurshid, Amana Akter, Nafisa Tajneen Nakshy, Md. Mahmudul Hasan, Saquiba Yesmine, Mahbubur Rahman

Modulation of PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling cascade through G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) activation: Prenatal lysophosphatidylinositol attenuates valproic acid-induced synaptic abnormalities and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Life Sciences. 2023. 334, 122195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122195