College of Medicine welcomes Chancellor’s Fellow Rahma Kamal to medical sciences PhD program

The Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine has welcomed Rahma Kamal to its medical sciences PhD program as a recipient of the prestigious Chancellor’s National Academy STEM Ph.D. Fellowship.

Kamal joined the university’s Houston campus in August 2025 and will pursue her doctoral studies under the mentorship of Kenneth Ramos, MD, PhD, a distinguished member of the National Academy of Medicine. She will focus on cancer, cell, and developmental biology and the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms that determine cancer treatment response and resistance.

Before joining Texas A&M, she earned a Master of Science in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, graduating at the top of her class. Her thesis demonstrated that inhibiting HDAC6—an enzyme that regulates how cancer cells grow and respond to stress—can enhance the sensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer cells to hormonal treatments, suggesting a potential new approach to overcoming therapy resistance.

With more than five years of oncology research experience and two publications in peer-reviewed journals, Kamal aims to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to advance cancer treatment.

The Chancellor’s Fellowship, administered through the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study, is funded by the Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. It was created to attract the nation’s most promising STEM scholars to Texas A&M by pairing them with world-class mentors. Each fellow is guided by a graduate committee co-chaired by a National Academy member and a rising star faculty member—providing an exceptional research and training environment.

Kamal’s nomination was supported by the Office of Graduate Studies, which recognized both her academic excellence and potential to contribute to groundbreaking research in the medical sciences. The fellowship provides full financial support for four years, allowing fellows to focus entirely on their academic and research endeavors.

“The Institute of Biosciences and Technology research community was delighted to welcome Rahma to our campus,” Ramos said. “Rahma will play a pivotal role in my laboratory advancing efforts to identify and develop novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. In addition, she will mediate collaborative initiatives with Dr. William Sage and his team at the university’s School of Law to promote the dissemination of translational research findings and to integrate innovations in precision oncology with health law and policy.”

The Chancellor’s National Academy STEM Ph.D. Fellowship represents a strategic investment in the future of science and innovation, reinforcing Texas A&M’s commitment to academic excellence and national leadership in research.