Arrow’s 2026 HSANZ PhD Scholarship Recipient: Dr Marzia Rahman

Arrow Foundation is proud to announce Dr Marzia Rahman as the recipient of the 2027 HSANZ Arrow Foundation PhD Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand (HSANZ) and proudly supported by the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic. 

A clinical haematologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Fellow at Alfred Health, and former Bone Marrow Transplant and CAR-T Cell Therapy Fellow at King’s College Hospital, London, Dr Rahman is undertaking her PhD through the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases at Monash University. 

Her research focuses on improving outcomes for patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation by better understanding how the immune system rebuilds itself after transplant and identifying ways to reduce complications such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which occurs when transplanted immune cells attacks the patient’s tissues.  

Dr Rahman’s PhD project, Optimising Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide in Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation, aims to better understand  how a medicine called post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) influences immune recovery following transplant. While this treatment has significantly improved transplant safety and expanded access to life-saving donor transplants, important questions remain about why some patients still experience complications and why outcomes vary between individuals. Her research will build on the practice-changing BMT12 CAST trial, conducted through the Australian BMT Network, which demonstrated that PTCy could substantially reduce graft-versus-host disease and improve outcomes for transplant recipients. The project will investigate why this approach appears less toxic than some international alternatives, how it protects patients, and why GVHD continues to occur in some cases. 

Through collaboration with Australian and international transplant researchers, Dr Rahman will also study a promising new cyclosporin-free treatment approach, which may further reduce side effects and improve patients’ recovery following transplant. 

By examining how the immune system rebuilds after transplantation and identifying factors associated with GVHD risk, the research aims to support more personalised treatment approaches to patient careand generate evidence for future studies, including the upcoming CAST-AWAY clinical trial. Ultimately, the project seeks to make bone marrow transplantation safer, more effective, and easier for patients to tolerate. 

The project aligns closely with Arrow Foundation’s commitment to advancing stem cell transplantation research and supporting innovative research that can translate into better care for patients and families. 

Reflecting on receiving the scholarship, Dr Rahman said: 

“I am honoured to receive the Arrow HSANZ PhD Scholarship, which provides invaluable support for my development as a clinician‑researcher. This scholarship strengthens my ability to deepen my research and contribute meaningful evidence to the haematology and transplant community, supporting more personalised and effective care for people facing blood cancers.” 

Professor David Curtis, Director of Malignant Haematology Research at the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases and a leading clinician-researcher in bone marrow transplantation, said Dr Rahman is exceptionally well placed to lead this important research project. 

“Dr Rahman has demonstrated exceptional clinical insight, academic maturity and a strong commitment to advancing research in transplantation and GVHD biology. Given her clinical experience, familiarity with transplant cohorts and clear motivation to pursue a clinician-scientist career, she is exceptionally well placed to lead this project.” 

Arrow Foundation is proud to support Dr Rahman as she embarks on this important research journey. Through investments in emerging clinician-researchers, we continue to advance innovative bone marrow transplantation research and work towards improving outcomes for patients undergoing transplant. 

This scholarship is funded through a partnership between HSANZ and Arrow Foundation, with Arrow’s contribution made possible by the outstanding fundraising efforts of Hawkesbury Canoe Classic participants, volunteers and supporters. Their dedication is helping drive important research that has the potential to improve outcomes for transplant patients both now and into the future.