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“I have a particular interest in the socio-demographic determinants of and inequalities in reproductive, maternal, child, and adolescent health.” Â
My father’s dream was I would become a doctor someday, and I was fascinated with architecture; eventually, the beautiful uncertainty of life destined me to study statistics, which I didn’t love much while I was in graduate school. After graduation, I joined icddr,b as a Research Fellow as a means of earning, and spent the first two and half years in a dilemma as I was not sure about continuing in the field of public health. In the meantime, I completed my Master of Public Health and pondered if public health indeed was my passion.
Finally, the magic touch of a great mentor, Dr Mizanur Rahman, helped calm down my nerves and allowed me to see things clearly. Through his mentorship, I began to love public health as a profession. After 11 years of learning and doing the demography of health in reproductive, maternal, child, and adolescent health and wellbeing (RMCAH), I feel this is what I wanted to do.
At icddr,b, I have worked on evaluation of public health programmes, investigation of socio-demographic determinants and inequalities in RMCAH, and improving health and demographic measures. Broad exposure to several large population-based surveys and the Matlab health and demographic surveillance system is a crucial asset to my profession. I also enjoy studying the connection between religion and health.
Since my early days in icddr,b I have had the opportunity to work with national and international researchers and policymakers from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh, University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins University, Pennsylvania State University, New York University, University of California in Berkeley, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Major funders of the studies (direct or sub-award) were USAID, UNICEF, INDEPTH Network, NIH, NYU, and John Templeton Foundation.
Presently, I am leading multiple studies to improve population survey-based mortality estimates using in-person and mobile phone interview methods. Other ongoing studies are primarily related to civil registration and vital statistics, nutrition transition and national nutrition action plan, ever-rising hypertension and rethinking about family planning method-mix program, causes of maternal deaths, adolescent health and wellbeing, parents religiosity, children’s long term wellbeing, and religion and non-communicable disease.
Why I work at icddr,b:
Promoting health and wellbeing through scientific studies of international standards and effective collaborations with world-class research and academic institutes and scientists is the key to icddr,b’s research excellence. Working in such an organisation in a lower-middle-income country is a rare privilege that encourages me to grow as a public health researcher. Last but not least, icddr,b’s culture of promoting the freedom of thinking among young researchers has been a great motivation.
Future Plans:
My immediate future plan is to pursue a PhD in a field related to public health and demography. Enhanced knowledge is essential in this competitive world.
2019 - till date
Assistant Scientist, Health System and Population Studies Division, icddr,b
2014 - 2018
Research Investigator, Health System and Population Studies Division, icddr,b
2012 - 2014
Senior Research Officer, Centre for Population, Urbanization and Climate Change, icddr,b
2010 - 2012
Research Fellow, Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, icddr,b
2012
Master of Public Health, Independent University, Bangladesh
2007
MSc. in Applied Statistics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
2006
BSc. in Applied Statistics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
My research focuses on socio-demographic and economic conditions that shape health and determine healthy behaviour. It also includes evaluation of family planning, health, population and nutrition programs.
I have particular interest in research on health system strengthening.Â
2017
Evaluation Fellow, MEASURE Evaluation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
2019-2021
CRVS Fellow, International Union for the Scientific Study of Population
