VCU news

By Olivia Trani

While some may be reluctant to try something new, Nadia Tasnim Ahmed doesn’t shy away from the unknown. Instead, it’s what motivates her. 

“I have the tendency to seek out new experiences, even if I don’t know where it will take me,” she said.

That tendency is what drove her to become the first student at Virginia Commonwealth University – and the country – to earn a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical engineering. She graduates from the program this month. 

Ahmed was pursuing a career as a pharmacist in Bangladesh, her home country, when she became more interested in advancing the field of pharmacy through research. She went on to receive her master’s degree in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh.

She didn’t stop there. To further develop her research skills, Ahmed moved to the U.S. to complete another master’s program, this time in pharmaceutical nanotechnology at the University of South Florida. She was one of the first students in the program. 

In 2020, Ahmed was about to start working toward a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences at VCU’s School of Pharmacy when she came across an opportunity unlike any other. At that time, VCU had just launched the nation’s first Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical engineering.

“I was contacted by Dr. Sandro Da Rocha about an opportunity to join the program’s inaugural class. When I found out that this was the first and only program of its kind in the country, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it,” Ahmed said. “This meant that while I was developing my skills as a researcher, I also got to witness the program’s own growth over the years. It has been a wonderful experience overall.”

The doctoral program is a collaboration between VCU’s School of Pharmacy and College of Engineering to train students in areas of drug product development such as continuous manufacturing and drug-containing nanomaterials. 

“Students enrolled in this program do research that interests a variety of fields, such as molecular biology, drug delivery, drug development, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering,” Ahmed said. “My coursework provided me with a foundational knowledge in engineering, which will be helpful for whatever path I choose in the future.”

For her research, Ahmed used an analytical tool called mass spectrometry to study protein interactions at the molecular scale to better understand their role in disease. She specifically focused on an enzyme called neutrophil elastase, which influences the function of immune cells called macrophages.

By affecting how these macrophages respond to stress and injury, neutrophil elastase is believed to contribute to the lung inflammation and tissue damage associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive this inflammation and tissue degradation can help researchers identify biomarkers and develop therapeutics for COPD.

Many moments stick with Ahmed as she reflects on her time at VCU, such as becoming the founding president of the Graduate Student Association for pharmaceutical engineering, as well as becoming the first student to receive the program’s Excellence in Pharmaceutical Engineering Award. However, she says one of her most meaningful achievements was when she defended her dissertation and earned her Ph.D. 

“Hearing from my advisor that I had passed my defense and being called ‘Dr. Ahmed’ for the first time was an unforgettable experience,” she said. “I also take pride in the journey that led to that day — overcoming challenges, learning new things and taking each step toward my goal.”

“Nadia embodies everything you hope to see in a graduate student: curiosity, persistence, independence and fearlessness,” said Adam Hawkridge, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutics and Ahmed’s advisor. ”I feel very fortunate to have served as Nadia’s advisor; she was outstanding.”

Since receiving her degree, Ahmed has taken a full-time position as an ORISE fellow at the Food and Drug Administration. There, she is using her skills in mass spectrometry to develop methods for profiling impurities and analyzing unintended structural variants, such as diastereomers, in siRNA oligonucleotide-based products used for therapeutics.

Looking ahead, Ahmed hopes to apply the skills she has developed to work as an analytical scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, though she is keeping her options open for whatever may lie ahead.

“If there is an opportunity to gain experience and make meaningful contributions in a field that interests me, that is what gives me purpose in my efforts and will drive the next step in my journey,” she said.