Political science was a major topic of conversation in the Ahmad household when
Maha Khalil Ahmad was growing up. Her father was a Jordanian political journalist, and his assignments also took the family to the United States and Kuwait for long periods.
As an adult, Dr. Ahmad no longer has much interest in the politics, but she discovered that she loved science. She earned her BS in biological sciences and her MS in medical laboratory sciences from the University of Jordan, and then returned to the U.S. to earn her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She recently joined UIC’s College of Dentistry as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Oral Biology.
Dr. Ahmad teaches the dental neural anatomy course. She has improved the curriculum and also invited outside speakers to bring in new perspectives. “They present actual patient cases to provide students with a broader understanding,” she noted. “I’m also coordinating the lectures with lab work, since seeing things in the lab always makes the lecture more interesting for students.”
As a researcher, Dr. Ahmad studies “the synaptic turnover and the hair cells of the inner ear: the utricular macula,” she explained. “I study unique synapses related to the utricular macula called ribbon synapses and another structure, calyceal invagination, which is thought to have something to do with the synaptic action in the utricular macula.”
Dr. Ahmad has researched the effect of increased gravity on synaptic changes in the utricular maculae, “which function as a gravity sensor of the body and are important to balance,” she said. She also has studied synaptic structures in mice and rats.
Joining the College faculty has been a great experience, she said. “UIC is where I earned my PhD, so I’m very loyal, devoted, and grateful to the University,” she explained. “Chicago is one of my favorite cities and I have a great network of family and friends here. The Oral Biology program is excellent, and I’m happy I’m part of it.
“I’m looking forward to helping the Department of Oral Biology develop,” Dr. Ahmad said. “The faculty and students are very nice people, very open-minded. I’m happy to do whatever I can to help the students pass their boards.”
When not at the College, Dr. Ahmad enjoys outdoor activities, travel, and concerts. “I have a great collection of alternative, rock, and international music,” she concluded.