Dr Ahmed Rahman completed his PhD in Neuroscience from the Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney in 2012.
His PhD research was focused on the control of the autonomic nervous system by neuropeptides in the brainstem and spinal cord, in normotensive and hypertensive rats. His research has revealed how neuropeptides control blood pressure, heart rate, sympathetic nerve activity and breathing with the aim of developing new drugs for the treatment of diseases, including hypertension.
His research interests include among other things:
- modulation of cardiorespiratory control and sympathetic reflexes by central nervous system due to neuropeptides
- alteration in the expression of peptide receptors in the brain in the disease condition
- alteration in the extrinsic innervation of the gastrointestinal tract due to anti-cancer chemotherapy.
Dr Rahman has excellent research experience and skills in:
- in vivo surgical procedures, electrophysiological recording, activation of different sympathetic reflexes and immunohistochemical techniques
- neuronal tract tracing using cholera-toxin B
- process (cryostat sectioning, myenteric plexus whole-mount preparation) gut tissue (stomach, ileum, colon and rectum) of mouse and guinea-pig for immunohistochemistry, colonic motility and histology (paraffin-embedded H&E stating).
He has published over 30 scientific articles including journals papers, peer-reviewed conference papers and book chapter.
Recent publications
Scholarly book chapters
Shahid, IZ, Rahman, AA, Pilowsky, PM (2012). Orexin and Central Regulation of Cardiorespiratory System. Vitamins and Hormones 89: 159-84.
Refereed Journal Articles
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Pilowsky, PM (2013) Neuromedin U causes biphasic cardiovascular effects and impairs baroreflex function in rostral ventrolateral medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rat. Peptides 44:15-24
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Pilowsky, PM (2012) Differential cardiorespiratory and reflex responses to microinjection of neuromedin U in rat rostral ventrolateral medulla. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 341: 213-224
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Fong, AY, Hammond, AM, Pilowsky, PM (2012) Vasostatin I (CgA17-76) vasoconstricts rat splanchnic vascular bed but does not affect central cardiovascular function. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 166(1-2): 22-28.
Shahid, IZ*, Rahman, AA*, Pilowsky, PM (2012) Orexin A in rat rostral ventrolateral medulla is pressor, sympathoexcitatory, increases barosensitivity and attenuates the somatosympathetic reflex. British Journal of Pharmacology 167: 2292-2303.
*A.A.R and I.Z.S. contributed equally to this work
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Pilowsky, PM (2011) Intrathecal neuromedin U induces biphasic effects on sympathetic vasomotor tone, increases respiratory drive and attenuates sympathetic reflexes in rat. British Journal of Pharmacology 164: 617-631.
Shahid, IZ, Rahman, AA, Pilowsky, PM (2011) Intrathecal orexin A increases sympathetic outflow and respiratory drive, enhances baroreflex sensitivity and blocks the somato-sympathetic reflex. British Journal of Pharmacology 162: 961-973.
Refereed conference abstracts
Rahman AA, Shahid IZ, Fong AY, Pilowsky PM (2011) Effects of centrally administered vasostatin I on the modulation of cardio-respiratory function and sympathetic reflexes. Hypertension 58(1): 123-123
Shahid IZ, Rahman AA, Pilowsky PM (2011) Both orexin 1 and 2 receptors mediate orexin a induced sympathoexcitaton and increase in phrenic nerve activity. Hypertension 58(1): 123-123
Conference presentations
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Pilowsky, PM (2012) Differential sympathetic reflex responses to microinjection of neuromedin U in rat rostral ventrolateral medulla. 32nd Annual Meeting of Australian Neuroscience Society, Gold Coast, Queensland.
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Pilowsky, PM (2011) Neuromedin U causes biphasic effects on sympathetic vasomotor tone and increases respiratory drive in rat rostral ventrolateral medulla. 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting of High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia (HBPRCA), Perth, Western Australia. Melbourne.
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Pilowsky, PM (2011) Neuromedin U in the spinal cord differentially modulates sympathetic outflow and adaptive sympathetic reflexes. 41st Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Washington DC, USA.
Shahid, IZ, Rahman, AA, Pilowsky, PM (2011) Orexin A in the rostral ventrolateral medulla is hypertensive, sympathoexcitatory and increases phrenic nerve activity. 41st Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Washington DC, USA.
Rahman, AA, Shahid, IZ, Pilowsky, PM (2011) Intrathecal neuromedin U causes sympathetically mediated biphasic changes in blood pressure and increases respiratory drive. 31st Annual Meeting of Australian Neuroscience Society, Auckland, New Zealand.
Invited seminar
Rahman, AA (2011) "Role of neuromedin U in the central control of cardiovascular function and sympathetic reflexes" at the Institute of Membrane and Systems Biology, University of Leeds, UK.
Professional membership
- High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia (HBPRCA)
- Australian Neuroscience Society (ANS)
- Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
