Asif Ahmed

Professor Ahmed is a research-minded visionary communicator and possesses entrepreneurial energy and the ability to identify opportunities for growth. He helps to shape the future direction of organisations with his ability to empower others and encourage them to make meaningful contributions to the organisation and wider society.

Most of Professor Ahmed's academic life was spent in top research-intensive universities. He moved to Aston to bring about a transformational change in Birmingham by establishing the most socially inclusive medical school in the United Kingdom. He wanted to ensure that the school had innovative medical education, inclusive leadership and a focus on research at the core of its model, but did not compromise entry standards in selecting students from hard-to-reach backgrounds. His message to his medical school staff was simple “Inspire to Aspire”.

Professor Ahmed's drive is to ensure that his discoveries translate so that no woman who chooses to have a baby ever needs to fear the silent killer preeclampsia. MirZyme and Professor Ahmed are leading a targeted therapeutic approach to prevent preeclampsia.

Research Interest

Professor Ahmed's laboratory was the first to discover the protective pathways to prevent preeclampsia, a life-threatening condition in pregnancy, characterised by the onset of new high blood pressure that can lead to serious complications for mother and baby. He identified two protective pathways (Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and Cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE)) that put the breaks on the culprit protein, soluble Flt-1. Defects in HO-1/CSE pathways contribute to preeclampsia by releasing this brake. This is reported as The Ahmed's Protective Law of Preeclampsia Prevention.

Goals & Ambitions

Professor Ahmed's goal is to ensure that before this decade ends, preeclampsia becomes therapeutically preventable and never causes a woman to choose between her own life and her child’s. "One Test. One Pill. Save Two Lives" is the slogan synonymous with Professor Ahmed and MirZyme.

Having created the most socially inclusive medical school in the UK to transform lives, now Professor Ahmed aims to ensure MirZyme creates the most effective and safe therapeutics against preeclampsia, which will save millions of lives, create graduate job opportunities and boost the economy.

Current Work

He is developing ways to put a ‘brake’ on preeclampsia and looking at how this approach can be applied to other unmet medical need disorders of pregnancy.

He is passionate about championing and supporting social mobility, diversity and mental health in the higher education sector by bringing the world of science, businesses and governments to implement change.

Education

• PhD UCL (1986 — 1989)
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) King's College London (1980 — 1983)
• Aylward School (1971 — 1978)

Companies

• Visiting Professor of Pharmacology The University of Bolton (2022)
• Senior Advisor To The President and Vice-Chancellor University of Southampton (2020)
• Executive Chairman and CEO MIRZYME THERAPEUTICS LIMITED (2020)
• Distinguished Adjunct Professorship King AbdulAziz University (2018)
• Honorary Professor Jilin University Sino-Japanese Union Hospital (2016)
• Founder of Aston Medical School Aston University (2014)
• Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health Aston University (2012 — 2020)
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor & Executive Dean Aston University (2014 — 2020)
• Gustav Born Professor of Vascular Biology and Assistant Principal for International The University of Edinburgh (2010 — 2012)