Dr. Shamma Rahman, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical & Graduate Life Sciences at Manchester University. She is a neuroimmunologist who studies how the immune system and the brain communicate, with a special focus on women’s health and depression. Her research examines how stress, hormones, and aging shape immune cells, and how natural products like thymoquinone can be leveraged as tools to uncover new pathways in brain–immune health. By developing simple lab tests that measure immune activity, Dr. Rahman is working toward new ways to identify risk for mood disorders, autoimmune conditions such as lupus and PANS, and even cancer.

Before joining Manchester, Dr. Rahman trained at Stanford University, where she helped discover a new population of brain-homing immune cells in pediatric autoimmune disease. Her work has been recognized through competitive fellowships and invitations to speak at national scientific meetings. At Manchester, she has launched a translational research program that connects molecular assays with patient-focused questions, and she mentors students who want to bridge laboratory science with real-world health challenges.

In the classroom, Dr. Rahman teaches physiology and pharmacology, and she is known for making complex science approachable through clear explanations, clinical examples, and genuine care for her students’ success. She was nominated Best Pharmacy Teacher at Manchester in 2025.

Outside the lab and lecture hall, Dr. Rahman enjoys sharing stories of science and everyday life, cooking inspired by her Bengali roots, and spending time with her husband and their two cats. She believes in making science human by mentoring students, collaborating with colleagues, and always asking how discoveries in the lab can improve lives.

Research Interests:
– Brain–immune communication in depression and women’s health
– Immune biomarkers in mood disorders, cancer risk, and autoimmune disease (lupus, PANS)
– Leveraging natural products as tools to study brain–immune interactions
– Student mentoring and physiology/pharmacology teaching

Education:
– Ph.D. (Cellular & Integrative Physiology), University of Nebraska Medical Center (2018)
– Postdoctoral Training (Immunology), Stanford University (2023)
– M.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology), University of Dhaka (2013)
– B.Sc. (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology), University of Dhaka (2012)

Notable Work:
– Discovered a novel innate immune cell population in pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) (Journal of Neuroinflammation, 2025; Frontiers in Immunology, 2024).
– Awarded an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship for kidney physiology research.
– Secured internal research funding at Manchester University to develop monocyte-based diagnostics for women’s brain health.
– Published translational studies linking immune cell changes to depression, lupus, and PANS.

Awards and Honors:
– Nominated Best Pharmacy Teacher (Manchester University, 2025)
– Invited Speaker, Synchrony 2019 (The Brain Foundation)