Principal Lecturer in Biochemistry, Course Leader for MSc Bioengineering, Portfolio Leader for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses

I joined the University as a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry. Two years later I was offered the position of Acting Head of the Division (later it became a Department and is now the School of Life Sciences) I served in this position for 2.5 years. During my acting headship period I was offered a Principal Lecturer position.

Prior to joining the University of Bedfordshire I completed my PhD and postdoctoral training in the world-renowned institutions of Kagawa Medical University Japan, Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas, Auburn University Alabama, Brain Research institute Amsterdam and University College London.

My professional career to date involves multidisciplinary responsibilities including academic leadership and management roles along with teaching and research activities.

Teaching

As Portfolio leader for all courses in the School of Life Sciences I have responsibility for the effective over-sight of the courses and providing academic leadership.

I am also the course coordinator for the MSc Bioengineering course.

Previously I took care of the BSc Biomedical Science and MSc Pharmacology as course coordinator.

I enjoy teaching and am involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate units.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of Bedfordshire, UK
• PhD in Neurophysiology, Kagawa Medical University, Japan
• MSc in Inorganic Chemistry, University of Karachi, Pakistan
• BSc (Hons) in Chemistry, University of Karachi, Pakistan

Memberships

• Senior Fellow - Higher Education Academy, UK
• Fellow - Institute of Biomedical Science, UK
• Member - Parkinson's Disease Society UK

External Roles

• Visiting Professor Department of Biochemistry, Vet Med School, Cairo University, Egypt
• External Examiner University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol), UK
• Editor Journal of Addiction and Recovery
• Editor Journal of Austin Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
• Member of Board of Governors Ashcroft High School, Luton, UK

Research Interests

My research interest is focused on neurodegenerative disorders, specifically relevant to studies on brain injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuronal survival, gene therapy and cell signalling pathways. My training and research experiences are in the field of neurosciences, biochemistry, physiology and virology.

These fields of research have led to remarkable advances in the understanding of the genetics and molecular pathogenesis of many diseases. Such studies offer great potential for therapy for many diseases affecting the central nervous system including Parkinson’s disease.

My research expertise has allowed me to develop and implement a human cell model of stem cell research to study Parkinson’s disease. Currently, I am investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease and its links with Covid-19.

Selected Publications

• Chaudhry Z.L., Gamal M., Ingrid F., Warda M. and Ahmed B. Y. “ER stress in COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease: In vitro and in silico evidences” Brain Sciences. 12 (4), 507, (2022).
• Wu K.J.,Wang S-Q., Shi R-P., Qin L.H., Ahmed B. Y., Lu F. C., Wang S-X., Wang F.F., Wang G., Zhou S. Neuroprotective effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides in an epileptic rat Current topics in nutraceutical research Vol. 20, N 2, pp. 416-423, (2022).
• Chaudhry Z.L., Klenja D., Janjua, N., Cami-Kobeci G. and Ahmed B.Y. COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease: shared inflammatory pathways under oxidative stress. Brain sciences, 10 (11) (2020)
• Mehta K, Ahmed B. Y. and Farnaud S. A novel human neuronal cell model to study Iron accumulation in Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinsonism 9 (2019)
• Chaudhry ZL, Ahmed BY. The role of caspases in Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis: a brief look at the mitochondrial pathway. Austin J. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (2014) ISSN 2377-357X
• Ahmed B.Y., Hasnain O., Satfford R., Gujar A., Sihotra S., Howard M., Moradiya V., Patel K., "Hyperphosphorylation of CREB induced by 6OHDA treatment in human dopaminergic neurons: a kinetic study of cellular distribution of total CREB and phospho-CREB following oxidative stress. Neuroreport 24 (2013) 757-62.
• Chaudhry Z. L. and Ahmed B. Y. Caspase-2 and caspase-8 trigger caspase-3 activation following 6-OHDA -induced stress in human dopaminergic neurons differentiated from ReNVM stem cells. Neurological Research 35 (2013) 435-440
• Ahmed B. Y. Exercise as a neuroprotective mechanism in Parkinson's disease: Future treatment potential? British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing 4:11(2008).This article is available at www.bjnn.co.uk (November 2008). (Invited Review Article)
• Jones E., Adcock, I I. M., Ahmed B.Y. and Punchard N., Modulation of LPS stimulated NF-kappaB mediated iNOS expression by PKCe and JAK2, Journal of inflammation4:23 (2007) This article is available at www.journal-inflammation.com/ (24 November 2007).
• Ahmed B.Y., Chakravarthy S., Eggers R., Hermens W,T.J.M.C., Zhang J.Y., Nicolu S., Levelett C., Sablitzky F., Anderson P., Lieberman A. R., and Verhaagen J., Efficient delivery of Cre-recombinase to adult mouse brain using adeno-associated and lentiviral vectors, BMC Neuroscience 5 (2004) 4-15 (This article is available at www.biomedcentral.com/147-22025/5/4).

Contact details

T: +44 (0)1582 743097
E: bushra.ahmed@beds.ac.uk