Rahul Pandit

Dr. Rahul Pandit is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience at the University Medical Center Utrecht, where he has been working since 2010. His academic journey spans Medicine, Neuroscience, and Clinical Pharmacology, and is shaped by a long-standing commitment to bridging biomedical science with meaningful, human-centred medical education.

Rahul grew up in Kolkata, India, where he completed his schooling before moving to St. Petersburg, Russia, to study Medicine (2000). During the final years of his MBBS, he developed a deep interest in research, contributing as a student assistant to laboratory projects on dementia and gastric cancer. Graduating cum laude, he continued his academic journey at Utrecht University on a Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, completing the MSc in Neuroscience and Cognition cum laude.

He subsequently joined the laboratory of Prof. Roger Adan, where for five years he investigated the leptin–melanocortin system and its role in feeding behaviour and motivation. It was during this period that his interest in pharmacology intensified, leading him to pursue certification through the Dutch Society of Pharmacology. By 2015, he stepped fully into teaching, delivering pharmacology and pharmacotherapy education to medical students, a role in which he found both purpose and identity. He subequently completed his training as a Clinical Pharmacologist also from UMC Utrecht. 

Since his appointment as Assistant Professor, Rahul has coordinated and taught Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy within the Bachelor’s medical curriculum, ensuring that students integrate foundational mechanisms with their clinical application and develop as safe, thoughtful prescribers. His work brings together biomedical depth, educational innovation, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, with a focus on experiential, authentic, and inclusive learning environments.

Next to his position at the UMC Utrecht, since 2024 Rahul also works as the Medical Felow at the University College Utrecht, an appointment that he finds engaging and rewarding. 

Rahul plays a key role in curriculum reform at UMC Utrecht, contributing to cross-disciplinary collaborations that shape the future of medical training. His educational leadership has been recognised through fellowships and awards, reflecting his dedication to student learning, faculty development, and the broader educational community.

Rahul lives in Utrecht with his partner. 

Rahul’s research focuses on teaching practices that connect theory with practice, drawing on patient narratives, community-engaged learning, and experiential education. Over recent years, he has adapted P&PT teaching to incorporate educational philosophies of experiential learning, creating authentic learning environments that foster adaptive expertise and prepare future healthcare professionals to navigate complex clinical situations.

• SoTL grant The value of patient interviews in Pharmacology education (10000€) 2025
• Faculty USO grant, Patient perspectives within Pharmacology curriculum (10000€) 2025
• Community engaged learning innovation fund, Hackathon on Scaling up CEL initiatives (6000€) 2025
• Comenius teaching fellow National Grant, NRO (49000€) 2024
• Interfaculty USO project Hidden curriculum, consortium member (30000€) 2024
• Higher education research grant, Informal curriculum in community engaged learning (14000€) 2023
• University Stimulation of Teaching (USO) grant Community engaged learning (21000€) 2022
• SoTL grant, videos in Pharmacology education (2400€) 2022
• SoTL grant, Team based Learning in Pharmacology (3500€) 2022
• University Stimulation of Teaching (USO) grant, videos in Pharmacology education (8000€) 2021
• Interfaculty University Stimulation of Teaching (USO) project SoTL Advocate, consortium member (15000€) 2021
• SoTL grant, Student perception of pharmacology teaching (4000€) 2020
• Utrecht Excellence Scholarship for Master students (10000 €/year for 2 years) 2018-2020