Raman Bahal, Associate Professor of Pharmacy, earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University before receiving post-doctoral training at Yale. After pursuing his interests in pharmaceuticals and physical sciences, Bahal took his versatile knowledge and passion for interdisciplinary sciences to UConn in 2017 as an assistant professor. He went on to apply ambitiously for the role of associate professor a year early, eager to take on more responsibility.  

During his time at UConn, Bahal has excelled in multiple areas, but prides himself on his students and research: “My students are my accomplishment.” Combining his passion for research and his love for mentoring students throughout their academic journey, Bahal has worked with undergraduate and graduate students in many capacities. The mentorship provided by Bahal has transformed into life-changing results when just last year Bahal and his team launched a startup – called Zeal Therapeutics – to develop a promising drug delivery system to target the kidneys. Bahal is also passionate about therapeutic application, working with a team of faculty and students targeting genomic DNA and RNA to fight cancer cells.  Bahal has explored other research interests throughout various publications.

“At the end of the day, as long as my students are happy, learning, and progressing – this is what matters.” 

In addition to his research, Bahal has also taken on leadership roles within the School, including serving on the PTR Chair Committee last year, where he helped guide decisions on the promotion, tenure, and reappointments of faculty members. 

Bahal is honored to receive the Faculty Research Advising Award and hopes to inspire the next generation of scientists with his mentorship: “Some of the students I’ve worked with have been published as coauthors of our papers – they are strong contributors.” Looking to the future, Bahal wants to continue his mentorship journey. Passionate about building relationships between undergraduate students, Pharm.D. students, Ph.D. students, and postdocs, Bahal wants to be the bridge for relationships forged within the School.  

Bahal also has an interest in working with students in middle and high school and finding ways to encourage STEM programs within these environments. Hosting events for younger students to visit the UConn labs and be inspired to forge their own paths in the STEM and pharmaceutical fields, Bahal hopes to create symposiums and other events to build connections between high school students and university-level students.  

Motivated to inspire the next generation of scientists, Bahal truly embodies both the research and advising components of his award. This recognition, which Bahal attributes to UConn’s continuous support, has motivated him to look for even more ways to serve the pharmaceutical industry through his research and UConn Pharmacy through his mentorship.

“I really like mentoring. That’s my passion.” 

Bahal will receive his award during commencement weekend in May.