Osama F. Harraz

BIO

Osama F. Harraz, Ph.D. is the Bloomfield Professor of Cardiovascular Research and an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine, where he directs the Harraz Laboratory and serves as Director of the Pharmacology Minor. His work centers on a fundamental question in neuroscience and vascular biology: how does the brain ensure that its billions of neurons receive precisely the blood flow they need, moment to moment, and what goes wrong in this process during aging and disease? Dr. Harraz's research focuses on Piezo1, a mechanosensitive ion channel that his laboratory has established as a master regulator of brain blood flow, acting as a feedback brake on functional hyperemia, the process by which blood flow rises to meet neural demand. This work, published in journals including Nature Communications, PNAS, and Circulation Research, has direct translational relevance to Alzheimer's disease, hypertension, and cerebral small vessel disease, and is supported by funding from the NIH, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the American Heart Association, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. He was named a 2026 Pew Biomedical Scholar, one of the most selective honors in early-career biomedical research in the United States. Dr. Harraz's teaching and mentoring draw directly from this research program. He directs the Pharmacology Seminar Series (PHRM 6810) and lectures in several courses on ion channel biology and cardiovascular pharmacology, including developing new course material on mechanosensitive Piezo channels. Since joining UVM, he has mentored more than 30 trainees, ranging from undergraduates to postdoctoral associates and junior faculty, several of whom have advanced to competitive graduate, postdoctoral, and faculty positions.

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Courses

• PHRM 6810 
• PHRM 5900 
• PHRM 5400 
• PHRM 5720 
• PHRM 3995F

Publications

Google Scholar Publications

Awards and Achievements

• Secured competitive funding from NIH, Pew Trust, AHA, CZI, cureCADASIL and internal sources to establish a strong, well-supported research program. 
• Published ~50 high-impact papers in leading journals (e.g., PNAS, Nature Communications, Circulation Research), resulting in >2,250 citations and an H-index of 28. 
• Named Bloomfield Early Career Professor in Cardiovascular Research for contributions to advancing the field.
• Named a Pew Biomedical Scholar for the first time in UVM since 2000 (3rd in UVM history). 
• Delivered >50 invited talks at major conferences and institutions including Harvard, Vanderbilt, UCLA, and Gordon Research Conferences. 
• Recruited and trained a diverse group of junior faculty, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, undergraduates, and high school students. 
• Direct the Pharmacology Minor at UVM and serve as advisor to ~100 undergraduate students while consistently earning excellent teaching evaluations. 
• Provided significant institutional and professional service through leadership roles (e.g., Pharmacology Seminar Series Director) and national/international review activities (NIH, AHA, ANR, UKRI). 
• Actively promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion by recruiting diverse trainees and serving on committees focused on inclusive excellence.
• 2023-2026 - Bloomfield Endowed Professorship, CVRI of Vermont
• 2024 - COBRE Rising Star Award, National Association of IDEA Principal Investigators 
• 2023 - New Investigator Award, Larner College of Medicine, UVM 
• 2023 - Rising Star Lecture, American heart Association (AHA) 
• 2018 - Outstanding Research Publication Award, Larner College of Medicine, UVM
• 2016 - The Paul Cranefield Award in Physiology, the Society of General Physiologists (SGP) 
• 2014 – The Kaley Award, Microcirculation Society
• 2011-2014 – Vanier Scholar, CIHR, Canada 
• 2011-2014 - Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions Incentive Award, Alberta, Canada 
• 2006 - Valedictorian, Faculty of Pharmacy Class 2006, Alexandria University, Egypt

Harraz Lab Trainees’ Awards and Achievements:

• 2024 - Trevor Harriman - Summer Biochemistry Research Award, UVM
• 2024 - Ahmed Hashad - Best Postdoc Talk: Annual Pharmacology Retreat, UVM
• 2024 - Xin Rui Lim - Finalist and 3rd Place: Virdis Montis Challenge in Cardiovascular Research, UVM
• 2024 - Xin Rui Lim - Best Poster Award, Neuroscience and Behavior Forum, UVM
• 2024 - Mohammad Elmahdy - Best Poster Award, Neuroscience and Behavior Forum, UVM
• 2024 - Henry Bijur - Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (FOUR) Award, UVM
• 2023 - Luc Willemse - Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont (CVRI) Research Award 
• 2023 - Abby Cate Caproni - Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (FOUR) Award, UVM