Rafi Ahmad

Rafi Ahmad is a Professor and Group Leader of the strategic research group B3 (Bioinformatics, Biodiscovery & Biorefinery) at the University of Inland Norway. He holds a BPharm from Jamia Hamdard (India), MSc in Bioinformatics from the University of Exeter (UK), and a PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry from the Arctic University of Tromsø (Norway). His research focuses on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), rapid diagnostic technologies, and bioinformatics-driven solutions to global health challenges. He leads major projects like OH-AMR-Diag and UTI-Diag, funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and international partners. Key affiliations include visiting professorships at the University of Southampton and the Arctic University of Tromsø.

Education: BPharm (2000), MSc Bioinformatics (2001), PhD (2008). Postdoctoral work at the Norwegian Structural Biology Centre (2008-2011). Industrial roles at AstraZeneca and Medivir AB (2011-2015). Current roles include leadership in RCN projects (AMR-RADAR, ABR-Diag) and the NORSE network for One Health resistome surveillance. His team includes 30+ researchers across postdocs, PhDs, and technicians.

Research interests span AMR mechanisms, rapid diagnostics, metagenomics, and machine learning applications. He supervises over 20 students and collaborates internationally on drug discovery and diagnostic innovation. Recent media coverage highlights his work on reducing antibiotic overuse through rapid testing (NRK news, Hamar Arbeiderblad).

Grants include NOK 55M for ongoing projects. Labs focus on nanopore sequencing, SERS nanowire chips, and Voyager bioinformatics tools for pathogen detection. He is part of the RCN’s COST Action Management Committee (2020) and partners with Harvard and Indian institutions on AMR-Educate initiatives.