Poster at the AGE 2026 Annual Meeting
Presented age-associated GzmK+ CD8+ T cells and their interaction with microglia at the American Aging Association meeting in Provo, Utah.
Neuroimmunology · Brain aging · Vascular dementia
Understanding how aging immune cells reshape the brain.
I am a PhD candidate and graduate research assistant at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, studying how age-associated CD8+ T cells and neuroimmune interactions contribute to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.
Research focus
Immune mechanisms of aging and neurovascular disease
01Age-associated CD8+ T cells
02Microglia–T cell interactions
03VCID and brain aging
04Single-cell immunology
News
Recent updates
Milestones, awards, and talks, as reported by the Tyrrell Lab at UAB.
Advanced to PhD candidacy
All three PhD students in the lab have now passed their qualifying exams. I advanced to candidacy in Summer 2025.
Tyrrell Lab2026 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
Awarded a two-year AHA Predoctoral Fellowship supporting my dissertation research on how the aging immune system contributes to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia, mentored by Dr. Daniel J. Tyrrell.
UAB Heersink NewsOpening talk at the GBS symposium
Gave the first oral presentation of the day at the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences symposium.
Tyrrell LabModerated digital poster at AHA Scientific Sessions
Presented “Age-Associated CD8+ T Cells Accumulate in the Aging Brain” in Chicago; the abstract appears in Circulation.
Tyrrell LabTravel award from the UAB Department of Pathology
Received departmental support to attend AHA Scientific Sessions 2024.
Tyrrell LabSoutheast Immunology Symposium
Presented at the 2024 Southeast Immunology Symposium, hosted at UAB.
Tyrrell LabInvited presentation at MD Anderson Cancer Center
Presented my work on CD8+ T cells in vascular dementia and aging.
Tyrrell LabPoster at the McKnight Brain Research Foundation annual meeting
Presented in Gainesville, Florida.
Tyrrell LabPresented at GBS orientation
Spoke to incoming Graduate Biomedical Sciences students at UAB.
Tyrrell LabLab meeting on Illumina short-read sequencing
Led an overview of Illumina next-generation sequencing for the lab.
Tyrrell LabJoined the Tyrrell Lab
Started as a Graduate Biomedical Sciences PhD student in the UAB Department of Pathology.
Tyrrell LabAbout
Connecting vascular dysfunction, immune activation, and dementia.
My long-term goal is to become an independent investigator in neuroimmunology and develop therapeutic strategies that improve cardiovascular and brain health in aging populations.
In the laboratory of Dr. Daniel J. Tyrrell, I combine experimental and computational approaches to study immune mechanisms of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. My training spans rodent models of neurovascular disease, brain immune-cell isolation, neuropathology, single-cell transcriptomics, spectral flow cytometry, and bioinformatics.
Current research
Immune circuits at the intersection of aging and vascular brain injury.
My doctoral work examines published and publicly presented evidence connecting age-associated T-cell states with neuroinflammation and vascular cognitive impairment.
Project
T cell contribution to brain aging
We track whether peripheral T cells exploit an aging blood–brain barrier to enter the brain and contribute to neurodegeneration.
01
Doctoral focus
Age-associated CD8+ T cells in the aging brain
I investigate how cytotoxic and Granzyme K–associated CD8+ T-cell states accumulate with age and how their interactions with pro-inflammatory microglia may shape the neuroimmune environment in vascular dementia.
02
Immune aging
CD8+ T cells in age-related disease
My work contributes to understanding how clonally expanded memory CD8+ T-cell populations differ across aging, atherosclerosis, and neurovascular disease.
03
Vascular biology
Mitochondria and cardiovascular aging
I have examined how mitochondrial dysregulation, oxidative stress, and impaired quality control contribute to vascular decline across the lifespan.
04
Computational immunology
High-dimensional immune-cell analysis
I co-developed CAFÉ, an analysis pipeline and integrated web application designed to improve reproducible characterization of complex spectral flow cytometry data.
From the bench and the analysis screen
Scholarship
Selected publications
Selected peer-reviewed articles, research software, preprints, and conference abstracts. The complete record lives on Google Scholar and ORCID.
2025
Selected highlight Bioinformatics · Research software
CAFÉ: an integrated web app for high-dimensional analysis and visualization in spectral flow cytometry
Md Hasanul Banna Siam, Md Akkas Ali, Donald Vardaman, Satwik Acharyya, Mallikarjun Patil, Daniel J. Tyrrell
DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaf1762026
The Journal of Immunology · Original research
Combinatorial immunotherapy drives exhaustion in tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cells within the mouse renal tumor microenvironment
Holly R. Stephens, Elizabeth Elkins, Jing Li, et al., Md Akkas Ali, et al., Lyse A. Norian
DOI: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag0132025
Cells Tissues Organs · Original research
Mitochondrial glycosylation in neuroinflammation models
Meghana Madabhushi, Rachel Erin Murphy, Md Akkas Ali, Muthuvel Paneerselvam, Mallikarjun H. Patil, Daniel J. Tyrrell, Juhi Samal
DOI: 10.1159/0005474632025
The Journal of Immunology · Conference abstract
Age-associated CD8+ T cells accumulate in the aging brain and dementia
Md Akkas Ali, Daniel J. Tyrrell, Md Hasanul Banna Siam, Mallikarjun Patil
DOI: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf283.4062024
The Journal of Immunology · Co-first author
Development of a spectral flow cytometry analysis pipeline for high-dimensional immune cell characterization
Donald Vardaman III*, Md Akkas Ali*, Md Hasanul Banna Siam, et al.
* These authors contributed equally.
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.24003702024
American Journal of Physiology–Heart and Circulatory Physiology · Review
Cardiovascular aging: spotlight on mitochondria
Md Akkas Ali, Rachel Gioscia-Ryan, Dongli Yang, Nadia R. Sutton, Daniel J. Tyrrell
DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00632.20232024
Circulation · Conference abstract
Age-associated CD8+ T cells accumulate in the aging brain
Md Akkas Ali, Donald Vardaman, Chase Bolding, et al.
DOI: 10.1161/circ.150.suppl_1.41463962024
bioRxiv · Preprint
Tissue-resident memory CD8+ T cells are present but not critical for demyelination and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of multiple system atrophy
Nicole J. Corbin-Stein, et al., Md Akkas Ali, et al.
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.02.5970352023
Nature Aging · Original research
Clonally expanded memory CD8+ T cells accumulate in atherosclerotic plaques and are pro-atherogenic in aged mice
Daniel J. Tyrrell, Kathleen M. Wragg, Judy Chen, et al., Md Akkas Ali, et al.
DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00515-wTraining and experience
From biotechnology and teaching to neuroimmune discovery.
2023–Present
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham · Advisor: Daniel J. Tyrrell, PhD
2022–2023
Graduate Blazer Fellow
University of Alabama at Birmingham
2020–2022
Assistant Professor, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
2020–2022
Co-Team Leader, Specialized Laboratory for COVID-19 Detection
Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, SUST · Laboratory design and set-up, SOP revision, sample management and processing
2018–2020
Lecturer, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
2015–2018
Biotech Executive
Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bangladesh
Expected 2027
PhD Candidate
University of Alabama at Birmingham
2013
MS, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
2011
BSc, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
Teaching
Courses taught
Four years of undergraduate and graduate teaching in genetic engineering and biotechnology, and guest lectures on sequencing at UAB. Full course outlines available on request.
Molecular Biology
Undergraduate · SUST, 2018–2022
Enzymology and Enzyme Biotechnology
Undergraduate · SUST, 2018–2022
Molecular Biology of Disease
Graduate · SUST, 2018–2022
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Graduate · SUST, 2018–2022
Next-Generation Sequencing and Genomics
Guest lecturer, Biotechnology PhD program · 2024–2025
Scientific communication
Selected presentations
Public conference abstracts and invited presentations documented in my AHA biosketch.
Age-Associated GzmK+ CD8+ T Cells Accumulate in the Aging Brain and Interact with Microglia to Drive Neuroinflammation in Vascular Dementia
American Aging Association (AGE) Annual Meeting · Utah Valley Convention Center, Provo, Utah
Age-Associated CD8+ T Cells Accumulate in the Aging Brain
American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting · Honolulu, Hawaii
Opening oral presentation, Graduate Biomedical Sciences Symposium
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Age-Associated CD8+ T Cells Accumulate in the Aging Brain
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions · Chicago, Illinois
Exploring the Role of CD8+ T Cells in Vascular Dementia and Aging
Invited presentation · MD Anderson Cancer Center
Age-Associated CD8+ T Cells in the Aging Brain
Southeast Immunology Symposium · University of Alabama at Birmingham
Age-Associated CD8+ T Cells in the Aging Brain
McKnight Brain Research Foundation Annual Meeting · Gainesville, Florida
Photo gallery
Professional and community highlights.
Selected moments from research, university service, and scientific community engagement.
Commitment to Community Engagement Award, UAB
Leadership and recognition
Service across science and community.
My professional service includes leadership in COVID-19 diagnostic testing, international student engagement, and scientific communication.
- 2026American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
- 2025Guest Speaker, Next-Generation DNA Sequencing Methods, UAB
- 2024UAB Pathology Travel Award
- 2024Invited Speaker, MD Anderson Cancer Center
- 2023Commitment to Community Engagement Award, UAB
- 2023Student Excellence Award, UAB
- 2022National recognition for COVID-19 diagnostic leadership
- 2021National Science and Technology Fellowship, Bangladesh
Contact
Let’s connect around aging, immunity, and brain health.
I welcome conversations about neuroimmunology, vascular dementia, high-dimensional immune profiling, and collaborative research.
mali3@uab.edu