Immunologist, Head of Laboratory

National Heart and Lung Institute (Imperial College London)

Raya joined in December 2019 as Laboratory Manager for Prof Paul Cullinan's group.

Previous Employment:

• Postdoc/Research Associate at The Institute of Infection and Immunity at Cardiff University
• Research Assistant at St George’s University of London
• Medical Laboratory Assistant at Microbiology Department, University Hospital Lewisham
• Manager of National Centre of Haematological Diseases, Baghdad-Iraq
• Medical Laboratory Scientist/Phlebotomist at the National Centre of Haematological Diseases, Baghdad-Iraq.

Qualifications:

• Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Operator
• Canto II and Fortessa BD Operator
• Fellow of Higher Education Academy
• Phlebotomist

Education:

• MPhil/PhD in Infection and Immunity
• BSc in Biomedical Sciences
• BSc in Biological Sciences, Microbiology

Publications:

• “Human TSCM cell dynamics in vivo are compatible with long-lived immunological memory and stemness”. Pedro Costa del Amo, Julio Lahoz-Beneytez, Lies Boelen, Raya Ahmed, Kelly L. Miners, Yan Zhang, Laureline Roger, Rhiannon E. Jones, Silvia A. Fuertes Marraco, Daniel E. Speiser, Duncan M. Baird, David A. Price, Kristin Ladell, Derek Macallan, Becca Asquith. Plos Biology 2018
• “Human Stem Cell-like Memory T Cells Are Maintained in a State of Dynamic Flux”. Raya Ahmed, Laureline Roger, Pedro Costa del Amo, Kelly L. Miners, Rhiannon E. Jones, Lies Boelen, Tinhinane Fali, Marjet Elemans, Yan Zhang, Victor Appay, Duncan M. Baird, Becca Asquith, David A. Price, Derek C. Macallan, and Kristin Ladell. Cell Reports 2016
• “Human neutrophil kinetics: modeling of stable isotope labeling data supports short blood neutrophil half-lives”. Julio Lahoz-Beneytez, Marjet Elemans, Yan Zhang, Raya Ahmed, Arafa Salam, Michael Block, Christoph Niederalt, Becca Asquith and Derek Macallan. Blood 2016
• “Reconciling estimates of cell proliferation from stable isotope labeling experiment”. Raya Ahmed, Liset Westera, Julia Drylewicz, Marjet Elemans, Yan Zhang, Elizabeth Kelly, Rajko Reljic, Kiki Tesselaar, Rob J de Boer, Derek C Macallan, José AM Borghans and Becca Asquith. PLOS Computational Biology 2015