Syahirah Abdul Rahman (fondly known as Shera) is a Senior Lecturer in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Oxford Brookes Business School. She is also an Early Career Researcher Co-Investigator on the Innovation & Research Caucus. Her academic journey began with a PhD from the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, where she focused on financialisation and financial citizenship.
In her current role, Abdul Rahman works closely with the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Innovate UK, and the UKRI on projects related to the commercialisation of research in Social Science, Humanities, and the Arts for the People and the Economy (SHAPE). Her research interests are diverse, encompassing two main themes: commercialisation of research and alternative perspectives of entrepreneurship.
Abdul Rahman is passionate about understanding the different pathways to research impact. She collaborates with the ESRC to explore drivers, barriers, and the landscape of commercialisation in SHAPE. Her work also extends to understanding barriers to commercialisation in bioscience, in partnership with the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council. Currently she is working in collaboration with the University of the Arts London, Kindling Ventures, Mark Mann alongside several universities on Shared TTO to Accelerate the Growth of Self-fundEd Spinouts (STAGE)" project and co-investigating the "Innovation and Research Caucus.
As an engaged academic, Abdul Rahman has worked extensively with policy actors, including standard bodies, regulators, research funders, businesses, and other academics. She has presented her work to stakeholders across the UK and internationally, demonstrating her commitment to bringing forward research impact beyond academia.