Dr Md Moniruzzaman

Researcher biography
Dr Moniruzzaman is working as a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the UQ Faculty of Medicine and PA Hospital of Metro South Health. His research focuses on the molecular pathobiology of inflammatory diseases, in particular, how mucosal epithelial cells and gut microbiota regulate immune function in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and contribute to different diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and functional GI symptoms called disorders of gut-brain interactions (DGBI). Dr Moniruzzaman received his PhD from The University of Queensland in 2020, where he studied how the interleukin(IL)-20 family of cytokines (IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24) regulate mucosal epithelial and immune function in inflammatory and infectious diseases, including ulcerative colitis (UC) and respiratory syncytial virus. After graduation, he received postdoctoral training in the IBD Lab at Mater Research Institute – UQ and Nanomedicine Lab at UQ School of Pharmacy, where he investigated the role of cannabinoid receptors in UC and colitis-associated colorectal cancer, development of cannabinoid formulations to treat UC, and involvement of autophagy gene Atg7 in 6-Thioguanin mediated protection from UC. He was awarded a highly competitive UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2021-2022) and UQ School of Pharmacy Strategic Grant (2022) to study cannabinoids and Atg7 in UC, and Translational Research Institute LINC Grant (2023) to study cannabinoids in palliative care of patients with advanced cancer. Currently, he is working on how intestinal microbial dysbiosis controls mucosal immune microenvironment and contributes to the pathogenesis of DGBI, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD).
"I started a career in biomedical research because of my deep curiosity about the way in which the human body works. Now, I am working to understand the contribution of different cytokines in human pathology, which will allow me to devise the causes behind the origin of inflammatory diseases and develop effective therapies to serve the community."
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland, Australia
- Master of Pharmacy, Dongguk University, South Korea
- Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons), Stamford University Bangladesh