Syed C. Imam, MS, PhD, holds a tenure-track assistant professorship in the Department of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas. His primary research interest is to understand the molecular pathophysiological mechanisms leading to progressive neuronal loss during Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Imam received his BS in zoology with honors from Bihar University, India, and his MS in toxicology with honors from Hamdard University, India. He also earned his PhD in neurotoxicology from Hamdard University, with a memorandum of understanding for work done at National Center for Toxicological Research, a U.S. F.D.A. facility in Arkansas. Dr. Imam received an ICSU/TWAS Fellowship from UNESCO and a student fellowship from Oakridge Institute of Science and Education for his PhD work, during which he studied the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine on the dopaminergic system and published 13 peer-reviewed manuscripts, some of which received noted citations. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of molecular gerontology at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland, where he worked on DNA repair mechanisms in the aging brain and in premature aging syndromes. Several peer-reviewed publications came out of that training.

Dr. Imam was the recipient of a Junior Scholar Award at the Inaugural World Parkinson Congress held in February 2006 for his findings regarding the role of c-Abl in PD. In addition, he has received various startup grant awards from APDA, PDF, SAAF and the Executive Council of UT. In addition to these notable awards, he has received various best research paper and other awards during the short course of his academic career.