Shafiqur Rahman

Shafiqur Rahman is a Professor at the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, South Dakota State University (SDSU), where he holds academic appointments in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. His research focuses on neuropharmacology, drug discovery for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction and neuroinflammation. He teaches courses including Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Toxicology series and Drugs of Abuse and Addiction.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychopharmacology, Indiana University School of Medicine

Research Interests: His work spans medication development for drug addiction and CNS disorders, neuroimmune mechanisms of depression, and the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in alcohol and opioid dependence. He has pioneered studies on glial modulation in pain and neuroinflammation, with a focus on α7-nicotinic receptor allosteric modulators and glutamate transporter activators.

Professional Roles:

• Regional Editor, CNS Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets
• Editorial Board Member of numerous journals including International Review of Neurobiology and Frontiers in Neuroscience
• Secretary/Treasurer, ASPET Division of Pharmacology Education (2018-2020)

Awards:

• Human and Civil Rights Award (2019)
• SDSU Distinguished Scholar and Researcher (2010)
• TRiO Students’ Choice Teaching Award (2013)

Grants: Over $10M in funding from NIH (NIDA, NIAAA), Fulbright Foundation, and others. Active projects include NIDA grants on cholinergic mechanisms in addiction and NIAAA studies on ethanol neurotoxicity.

Labs/Teams: Leads a multidisciplinary lab investigating neuroimmune signaling in addiction and pain. Collaborates with institutions like Avera Health and the University of Toronto.