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Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Muslima Sonia Razaqyar, Ph.D.

M.D./Ph.D. Student

Muslima (Sonia) Razaqyar completed her PhD in the lab of Peter Fox, MD in May 2023. As a student in the (MD/PhD Program), Sonia has transitioned back to medical school for her final two years of clinical training before an anticipated MD graduation of May 2025. Sonia’s graduate research focused on examining the Clinical and Neurocognitive Outcomes of Pediatric Nonfatal Drowning. She is currently continuing her research in developing situational awareness metrics to assess disorders of consciousness in the pediatric population. Sonia is an MS3 enjoying her clinical clerkships and working on publishing her 4 PhD manuscripts. She is considering pediatric neurology as a specialty.

About Me

I am originally from Afghanistan and grew up in Florida. I am the oldest of 7 kids, and got married in spring of 2020, right before the pandemic was declared. We have a toddler son who is the light of our life. I started my academic journey at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida and transferred to Mount Holyoke College to complete my B.A. in biochemistry. I was at NIH for 4.5 years before I started the MD/PhD program in the summer of 2018.

Hobbies/Interests

Reading, swimming, hiking, exploring national parks and spending time with family.

Research Topic

Neurocognitive outcomes of nonfatal pediatric drowning.

Why I chose MD/PhD

I am interested in bridging the gap between bench research to bedside care.

Why I chose MD/PhD at º£½ÇÂ×ÂÒ

The inclusiveness and supporting environment of the MSTP program.

Post-bac work or other affiliations

Postbac (IRTA) at The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Education

A.A. Honors in Biology, Hillsborough Community College, 2011

B.A. in Biochemistry with honors in Genetics, Mount Holyoke College, 2013

Postbac Neurogenetics/Neuromuscular Research, National Institutes of Health 2013-2018

Publications

Early rearing history influences oxytocin receptor epigenetic regulation in rhesus macaques

Novel variants in individuals with RYR1-related congenital myopathies: genetic, laboratory, and clinical findings

Randomized controlled trial of N-acetylcysteine therapy for RYR1-related myopathies

Correlation of phenotype with genotype and protein structure in RYR1-related disorders

Intracellular calcium leak as a therapeutic target for RYR1-related myopathies

Reliability and Validity of Self-Report Questionnaires as Indicators of Fatigue in RYR1-Related Disorders