Professor Syed Ziaur Rahman is working in the field of Pharmacology for the last 23 years. He joined the Dept. of Pharmacology, J. N. Medical College, AMU, Aligarh in 1997 and since then, actively contributing the university in general and the department in particular in both academic and administrative field. Presently serving the Department as Chairman.

In 2000, he volunteered to coordinate AMU alumni who wish to enrich academic excellence for the benefit of university students, now known as Aligs Academic Enrichment Programme. He played significant role to start a separate lab on "Alternatives to Animal Experimentation" in 2005. With his initiative, PhD program (Pharmacology) was started in the Department in 2015. He also played significant role in bringing AMC-PvPI and MDMC-MvPI at JNMC by sending the "Letters of Intent" in 2010 and 2021 respectively to Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (An autonomous body of CDSCO, M/O Health & FW, Govt. of India), Ghaziabad. IPC nominated him the Coordinator of both AMC-PvPI and MDMC-MvPI at JNMC, AMU, Aligarh in 2021.

As a scholar, he has to his credit 7 published books, 12 chapters and more than 200 articles/research papers/case-reports/editorials in both national and international journals. He edited 11 periodicals and has been invited to deliver hundreds of lectures both as guest speaker and as resource person. He participated in hundreds of Workshops/Training Programs and presented papers during 50 International Conferences / 200 National Conferences. He himself organized 2 international conferences and many national conferences, CMEs and symposiums including 14th, 19th and 21st Annual National Conference of SoPI, 9th Annual National Conference of Indian Society of Rational Pharmacotherapeutics (ISRPTCON 2017) and 5th Annual Conference of Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments (SAAE-I AC6).

He handled 7 academic projects. He works in the field of Traditional medicine with special reference to Unani medicine. While working on morphine de-addiction properties of medicinal plants, he proposed a modified method for moderately and severely induced morphine dependent rats. He specifically screened Delphinium denudatum and Myristica fragrans for its protective activity in morphine induced physical dependence. Six of his MD candidates expanded the same work. 

In the field of Pharmacovigilance, he gave the concept of Environmental Pharmacovigilance in 2006 and coined the term 'Pharmacoenvironmentology'. In addition, he served the Society of Pharmacovigilance, India (SoPI) in many capacities. In 2003, he started the official journal of the Society, 'Journal of Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety' (ISSN 0972-8899). Currently he is serving the Society as National Secretary. 

Many scholars and institutions have cited his works including in few Pharmacology books. Under his supervision and co-supervision, 25 candidates have either completed or are completing their thesis/dissertation works. He is invited as external examiner to several medical and pharmacy colleges for BDS, MBBS, MD, PhD, M. Pharm and MSc (Pharmacology) examination and also served as expert for various selection committees including UPSC for the post of Senior Residents, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors.

He is an elected Fellow of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (FFPM), Fellow of International Medical Sciences Academy (FIMSA), National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS) and IMA Academy of Medical Specialties (FIAMS). He is involved with and/or member of 35 other learned educational bodies including International Association of Medical Colleges, International Brain Research Organization, International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN), Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), Indian Medical Association (IMA), Safety Pharmacology Society (SPS), Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India (APPI) and Indian Pharmacological Society (IPS).  

He is the founder trustee and treasurer of Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine & Sciences, Aligarh. He coordinated the establishment of the Library, Museum galleries on History of Medicine & Sciences, Centre of Advanced Study in Pharmacology (CASP), Centre for Safety & Rational Use of Indian Systems of Medicine (CSRUISM) as corpus body of the Academy. As an Editor, he edits its quarterly newsletter (NISA). The Academy is designated as 'Centre of Excellence' by Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India and listed in the Directory of History of Medicine Collections, US Department of Health and Human Services, National Library of Medicine, NIH, USA. He arranged many medical camps on the occasion of World AIDS Day and World Health Day. Under his guidance through ‘AMU School Support Group’, 213 scholarships to needy and deserving students of AMU schools are provided from Ibn Sina Academy with the sole aim that no school student should drop out because of financial or technical constraints.

He got International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) to pursue PhD from University of Western Sydney, Australia (2010-2012). The same university awarded him with 'International Alumni Leadership Award 2018'. He is also recipient of Pharma Ratan Award (2017), Servier Young Investigator Award of International Union of Pharmacology (1999), Junior Scientist Award of Safety Pharmacological Society of USA (2006), The African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology Scholarship (2003), WHO Fellowships for the 2nd Asian Course on ED & RDU in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Second International Conference on Improving Use of Medicines (ICIUM 2004) in Chiang Mai (Thailand), APSN Fellowship for 6th Biennial Meeting of the Asia Pacific Society for Neurochemistry (2004) and ISN Fellowship for 20th Biennial Meeting of the ISN-ESN, Austria (2005) and First Special Neurochemistry Conference, France (2004). He visited 20 countries for academic purpose.