CONTACT INFORMATIONCREDENTIALSAWARDSPUBLICATIONSIrfan Rahman, Ph.D.Contact InformationPhone NumbersOffice: (585) 275-6911Research LabsVisit Lab WebsiteLocationsUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry601 Elmwood Ave, Box 850Rochester, NY 14642Additional LinksEnvironmental Health Sciences CenterCenter for Inhalation and Flavoring Toxicological Research (CIFT)Faculty AppointmentsProfessor - Department of Environmental Medicine (SMD) Dean's Professorship - Department of Environmental Medicine (SMD) Professor - Department of Medicine , Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care (SMD) - JointProfessor - Department of Public Health Sciences (SMD) - JointBiographyResearchOxidant and cigarette smoke-mediated lung inflammation. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. It is a disabling condition associated with progressive breathlessness. COPD will account for over 6 million deaths per year in 2020 (3rd major cause of death), and move from the sixth- to the third-leading cause of death worldwide. In America, COPD affects 9% of residents aged 60 years and above and it ranked fourth in the recent morbidity survey of the elderly population. It is estimated that approximately 23.4 million people in the US have COPD and the health burden is $36.1 billions per year. At present, there is no effective treatment exists to halt the decline in lung function in response to smoking. This in turn reflects a lack of understanding of the specific cellular and molecular pathways triggered in the lung by tobacco smoke/oxidants. Our laboratory is interested in understanding the redox signaling, mechanism of proinflammatory gene expression by studying the chromatin remodeling-epigenetic changes (histone acetylation/deacetylation) on pro-inflammatory genes, involvement of anti-inflammatory and anti-aging proteins sirtuins, and steroid resistance in chronic inflammatory diseases/COPD. Recent research includes in understanding the role of sirtuins in aging and accelerated decline in lung function and regulation of circadian genes. Our long-term goal is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in pathogenesis of COPD, and the potential benefit of therapeutic interventions in this debilitating disease.CredentialsEducationPhD | BiochemistryMS | BiochemistryBS | Biology and ChemistryAwards2006Senior Investigator Award: The Oxygen Club of CaliforniaPublicationsJournal Articles10/31/2022Shaikh SB, Tung WC, Pang C, Lucas J, Li D, Rahman I. "Flavor Classification/Categorization and Differential Toxicity of Oral Nicotine Pouches (ONPs) in Oral Gingival Epithelial Cells and Bronchial Epithelial Cells." Toxics.. 2022 Oct 31; 10(11)Epub 2022 Oct 31. 10/24/2022Giri A, Rahman I, Sundar IK. "Circadian clock-based therapeutics in chronic pulmonary diseases." Trends in pharmacological sciences.. 2022 Oct 24; Epub 2022 Oct 24. 9/15/2022Lucas JH, Wang Q, Rahman I. "Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid disrupts protective tight junction proteins via protein kinase D in airway epithelial cells." Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology.. 2022 Sep 15; Epub 2022 Sep 15. VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONSClose WindowSchedule an appointment with Irfan Rahman, Ph.D.Please answer the following questions to help us find the right appointment for you.Important: If you believe that you have a medical or psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. This website is not intended for emergency care.Have you seen this provider in the last 2 years?YesNoExisting Patient Schedule or request a follow up appointment online through MyChart. If you do not have a MyChart account, please close this window and call the appointment phone number. Irfan Rahman, Ph.D. is currently scheduling for the following appointment type(s): Our policy does not permit patients to establish care with multiple providers within the same practice or specialty without prior approval. If you choose a new provider in the same office, we will cancel the appointment. Please contact the office directly with questions on this policy.