Rania M. Sultan is an academic member of King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Medical Microbiology. She joined the faculty in 1990. Sultan obtained her Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Hospital Infections from Manchester Metropolitan University. She teaches medical microbiology and epidemiology courses to undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Sultan was awarded a patent in 2024. Her research focuses on investigating the mechanisms used by bacteria for behavioral responses. The process is called "hearing and seeing," where she studies the molecular mechanisms bacteria use to communicate between cells. Sultan’s research paves the way for developing new therapies to combat multi-resistant bacteria that cause hospital infections, which pose life-threatening risks globally. By using frequency-based words and red light images, she is able to make bacteria respond again and become sensitive to different types of antibiotics by disrupting the sensing-based communication.
She invented a programmed technical device that is applied directly to the skin in cases of infection. The device is pre-programmed according to the type of bacterial infection after it is identified at home. It operates with specific frequencies and light, directed onto the skin, to restore bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics.
She connected the device with artificial intelligence to increase the knowledge shared among doctors and scientists about types of bacteria, corresponding frequencies, and to enhance research and innovation in this field.
In 2017, Sultan became the first Saudi woman to open a project for fermented food and drink products that contain beneficial bacteria and yeasts. She offers meals for those suffering from infections, autoimmune diseases, certain types of cancer such as breast cancer, and mental health issues. Her work is based on the idea that most diseases originate from gut bacteria, and restoring gut balance is key due to the connection between the gut, immunity, brain, and mood. She collaborated with laboratories to map the gut microbiome before and after restoring balance, and published her research in this field.
Currently, she is developing a factory to produce food products from bacterial and yeast fermentations.
Sultan is a passionate advocate for diversity in the sciences and is committed to educating the public about science. She is a member of the Saudi Innovation Club and serves on the National Academies Board on Life Sciences. Rania is frequently seen at community events, in science videos and interviews, on the web, television, and radio, working to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn and participate in science.