S. Ferdous
Graduate Student
Email: Sferdou@clemson.edu
Biosketch
Education and Training
Syed Rubaiyat Ferdous received his BS in Fisheries and MS in Fisheries Biology and Genetics from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh, where he conducted research on artisanal fisheries, microplastic pollution, and fish ecotoxicology. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology at the Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, USA (2023–present), where he investigates how light environments shape the developmental toxicity of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) in zebrafish, focusing on behavioral, endocrine, molecular, and retinal outcomes to inform human health risks.
Current Appointment
Ph.D. Student in Environmental Toxicology, Clemson University, SC, USA.
Research Interests
Ferdous’s research focuses on how environmental pollutants, particularly per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), disrupt vertebrate development and health. Using zebrafish as a translational model, he investigates how light environments influence PFAS-induced developmental toxicity through molecular and cellular mechanisms. By integrating behavioral assays, melatonin measurements, transcriptomics, oxidative stress analyses, immunohistochemistry and retinal biology, his work identifies mechanisms that connect environmental exposures to adverse developmental outcomes. The ultimate goal of his research is to generate insights that inform human health risks and guide strategies to mitigate the impacts of emerging contaminants.
Selected Publications
- Ferdous, S.R., Rojas, A., Frank, C., Sabatini, H.M., Luo, X., Sharma, S., Thummel, R., Chouinard, C., & Dasgupta, S. (Under Review). Light perturbations impact perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) induced developmental toxicity. Journal of Hazardous Materials.
- Brashears, H.J., Lea, K., Ferdous, S.R., Dasgupta, S., Baldwin, E.H., & Bain, L.J. (2025). Tert-butylphenol exposure alters cartilage and bone development in zebrafish. Chemosphere, 376, 144300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144300
- Ferdous, S.R., Amin, A., Hasan, J., Alam, M.S., & Shahjahan, M. (2023). Prevalence of microplastics in commonly consumed fish species of the Old Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 85639–85654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28514-9
- Hasan, J., Ferdous, S.R., Abi Rabiya, S.B., Hossain, M.F., Hasan, A.M., & Shahjahan, M. (2022). Histopathological responses and recovery in gills and liver of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to diesel oil. Toxicology Reports, 9, 1863–1868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.10.005
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5c7SM_8AAAAJ&hl=en