Advancing Reproductive Health and Medical Education
For many couples facing infertility in Pakistan, the question of “what next?" carries years of uncertainty — social pressure, unanswered questions, and dreams put on hold. Professor Rehana Rehman's work sits at the heart of that moment. Through her research, she has contributed to improving infertility diagnostics in Pakistan, advancing understanding of endocrine markers that help clinicians better interpret what is happening inside the body. Alongside this, she has played a significant role in strengthening medical education — both regionally and globally — through robust educational research.
A renowned physiologist and endocrinologist, Dr Rehman is the Bahadur Ali Kamruddin Jessani Endowed Professor at the Aga Khan University (AKU) and Director of the MPhil in Biological & Biomedical Sciences. A respected academic leader and an alumna of AKU's MHPE programme, she blends rigorous science with a deep sense of purpose. With more than 250 publications and over 5,400 citations, Dr Rehman's research prowess has earned her a place among the world's top 2 % most-cited scientists, according to Stanford University.
Her work spans reproductive physiology, endocrinology and metabolic health — fields that explore the body's chemical messengers and metabolic processes — as well as health professions education, where she focuses on student wellbeing, learning environments, mentorship, and enhancing curricula. Across both domains, the goal is the same - to close gaps between knowledge and practice, and between research and real-world change.
“My clinical background and research training led to a desire to bridge clinical gaps through evidence-based biomarkers, and to improve student learning through innovative pedagogies," she says. “I am driven by the goal of creating meaningful academic environments and producing impactful, translational research."
In Pakistan, she has also shaped a strong culture of mentorship — chairing major academic committees and conferences including AKU's Faculty Mentorship Forum, leading capacity-building workshops, developing strategic plans, and mentoring more than 70 postgraduate and undergraduate students, including PhD and MPhil scholars from multiple institutions. Her leadership in medical education and research has been recognised through multiple national and international awards.
In a landscape where science can feel distant, Dr Rehman's work draws a clear, grounded line between scholarly excellence and human impact — from a woman navigating infertility to a student discovering hope, direction, and purpose through research.
