Zaid Muhammad is a neuroscientist and PhD researcher in the Sussex Neuroscience programme at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. His research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. During his master’s training and subsequent research work, he investigated nucleolar dysfunction in tauopathies, examining how tau pathology disrupts nucleolar biology and cellular homeostasis.

His current doctoral research focuses on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where he studies the role of microRNAs in regulating gene expression and cellular vulnerability in motor neuron disease.

Beyond his academic research, Zaid has been actively involved in strengthening biomedical research capacity in Africa. He served as the pioneer on-site coordinator of the Biomedical Science Research & Training Centre (BioRTC) in Yobe State, Nigeria, supporting the operational establishment of the centre as an open-access biomedical research facility and home to Africa’s first stem cell biobank. He also served as team lead for biopsy collection, processing, and storage in the recently completed dementia cohort development project at BioRTC, contributing to the development of human biospecimen resources for neurodegenerative disease research.

He currently serves as Deputy Director for Strategic Engagements and Head of Communications at BioRTC, where he supports institutional partnerships, research training programmes, and science communication initiatives.

Zaid is also the founder and host of “The Story of a Researcher,” a podcast that highlights the journeys and contributions of scientists across Africa and the global research community.