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Nadira Naznin Rakhi
DPhil candidate
Molecular basis of tigecycline resistance
Research Overview
Nadira’s research focuses on antibiotic resistance mechanisms in clinically important bacteria, integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and microscopic approaches to understand how resistance evolves and spreads. Her work examines plasmid stability and mobility, exploring how these genetic elements influence both resistance and virulence. She employs whole-genome and RNA sequencing to characterise resistance determinants and regulatory networks, and uses transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) to visualise the ultrastructural effects of tigecycline on bacterial cells.
Her broader research interests lie at the intersection of molecular microbiology, bacterial evolution, and host-pathogen interactions, aiming to inform strategies for managing antimicrobial resistance.
She has presented her findings at major international conferences, including the largest international congress on clinical microbiology and infectious diseases, the ESCMID Global Congress in 2024 and 2025.
Academic and Professional Activities
Nadira is a Commonwealth Scholar and has actively contributed to research collaborations across multiple disciplines and departments. She has served as a demonstrator in the Department of Biology and contributed to teaching and outreach activities within the University of Oxford, including the Department of Biology, the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, the Department of Chemistry and the Natural History Museum. Previously, she taught undergraduate students in two different public universities in Bangladesh.