Azmi Ahmad, PhD

Azmi A Ahmad, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the Yale School of Medicine – Internal Medicine, working in the Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging Laboratory. Dr. Ahmad received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Union College and the University of Utah, respectively. His graduate research focused on electrophysiology and biophysics, where he investigated calcium signaling and SR leak in cardiomyocytes. His current research and training, under the mentorship of Dr. Mehran Sadeghi, focuses on translational research using molecular imaging to develop in vivo approaches to characterize calcific aortic valve disease and assess novel therapies. The work additionally utilizes novel tracers for molecular imaging of cardiac remodeling in various other disease models. Dr. Ahmad's postdoctoral work is funded by an NIH-T32 grant that utilizes multi-modality imaging, such as PET/CT, to detect calcification in a murine model of CAVD. He has presented his work at several conferences, and the work received the Young Investigator Award for Best Basic-Technical Abstract at the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) 26th Annual Scientific Session and Exhibition.

Dr. Ahmad has established leadership experience in the postdoctoral community as Advocacy Committee Coordinator at the Yale Postdoctoral Association (YPA), as well as Outreach Chair and Co-Chair at the Yale Black Postdoctoral Association (YBPA), with an additional track record of volunteering to uplift and support underrepresented minorities. At the YPA, he organized events to promote mental health and mental health first aid training, mindfulness events, as well as postdoc appreciation and recognition events for promoting work-life balance. At the YBPA, he helps build a community for Black postdocs and allies, as well as giving back to the New Haven community through volunteer efforts at the food pantry and fundraising for the unhoused community. Most recently, he has been elected to serve on the National Postdoctoral Association’s (NPA) Postdoc Council and also serves as the Vice-Chair of the NPA’s Advocacy Committee. Dr. Ahmad has been invited to give several talks on his advocacy efforts and strategies at scientific societies such as Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and National Science Policy Network (NSPN).

Dr. Ahmad continues to advocate for young scholars to feel safe to engage in respectful discussion without harassment and animus to create a diverse, inclusive, and supportive community.