S.M.Ashrafur Rahman

University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences

PhD in Biosciences 2017-Present

First year consists of: Modules, Mini-projects, and Professional Internship for PhDs Students (PIPS).Modules: Programming, command line, statistics, RNA-sequencing analysis, and mathematical modelling.

Mini-project 1: “The role of BRACA1 in DNA repair and genomic stability.”

PIPS: University of Birmingham Enterprise – Intellectual Property Department

• Reviewing inventions from academics and scoping out the current patent landscape.


• Advising academics on the commercialisation of their inventions based on prior art searches and market research.

Participated in the BBSRC Grand Challenges for Technologies and Methods for Drug Discovery Skills School

PhD project: “Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of selective autophagy in Drosophila Melanogaster”

Aston University, Birmingham

1^st Class Honours BSc Cell and Molecular Biology with Professional Training. 2013- 2017

• Dissertation: “Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to epitope tag the endogenous Nrf2 transcription factor, Cap n’ Collar, in Drosophila and Drosophila S2 cells”.

• Summer project: “Photocrosslinking study to investigate the interaction between the G-protein coupled receptor, Calcitonin receptor-like receptor 1 and its ligand Calcitonin gene related peptide.”


• Placement year project: “Developing a novel method of modelling the prion-like transmission of tau protein in elegans as part of the Alzheimer’s disease research group.”

Academic Awards

• University Prize (Aston University) for the top final year student in all programmes (2017)


• Royal Society of Biology Top Student Award at Aston University (2017)


• Microbiology Society’s Undergraduate Microbiology Prize (2015)


• Aston University Minnie Moore Prize for the top BSc Biomedical Science student in first and second year (2014, 2015)