Researcher Profile

My research interest concentrates onstudies of immunopathogenic mechanisms and host responses to natural infections, and immune responses to vaccination particularly in the settings of malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and endemic diseases. Another major area of research is exposure to environmental toxicants (heavy metals, air pollution, xenobiotics/pesticides) and their immunotoxic effects on human health (developmental immunotoxicity, immunosuppression, immunostimulation, hypersensitivity).

We study both innate and specific immune responses generated during natural infections (enteric infections, respiratory diseases including COVID-19) mostly in humans and some in animal models, looking at aspects of humoral and cellular functional immunity. In clinical intervention trials, our group evaluates clinical and immunological outcomes of treatment of diarrheal and respiratory diseases, particularly shigellosis and tuberculosis. We have carried out Phase I and II oral Shigella vaccine trials in adults, children and toddlers in endemic settings. As a part of the Centralized Laboratory Network of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), we evaluate immune responses generated by SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates. We also evaluate the outcome of micronutrient interventions on vaccine specific functional immune responses, particularly in pregnant women and their infants.

We assess pre-and postnatal nutritional and environmental toxic factors that affect the immune system, growth and early biomarkers of chronic diseases in children at different ages in a longitudinal mother-child cohort in rural Bangladesh (the MINIMat cohort). Mitigating toxic effects of environmental pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, air pollution) through community-based intervention (dietary or device based) and examining the relationship with immune function, are active areas of research of my group.

Overall, we try to bridge the disciplines of basic sciences and epidemiology, understand the complex relationships between the disciplines and promote a common platform, so as to provide scientific basis/evidence to public health policies.

Selected publications include:

• Sarker P, Akhtar E, Kuddusi RU, Alam MM, Haq MA, Hosen MB, Chanda BC, Haque F, Alam M, Razzaque A, Rahman M, Ahmed F, Kibria MG, Islam MZ, Ahmed S, Raqib R. Comparison of the Immune Responses to COVID-19 Vaccines in Bangladeshi Population. Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Sep 8;10(9):1498.
• Raqib R, Sarker P, Akhtar E, Nurul Huda TM, Haq MA, Roy AK, Hosen MB, Haque F, Chowdhury MR, Reidpath DD, Emdadul Hoque DM, Islam Z, Ahmed S, Ahmed T, Tofail F, Razzaque A. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated factors among Bangladeshi slum and non-slum dwellers in pre-COVID-19 vaccination era: October 2020 to February 2021. PLoS One. 2022 May 23;17(5):e0268093.
• Raqib R, Akhtar E, Sultana T, Ahmed S, Chowdhury MAH, Shahriar MH, Kader SB, Eunus M, Haq MA, Sarwar G, Islam T, Alam DS, Parvez F, Begum BA, Ahsan H, Yunus M. Association of household air pollution with cellular and humoral immune responses among women in rural Bangladesh. Environ Pollut. 2022 Apr 15;299:118892.
• Sarker P, Mily A, Ara A, Haque F, Maier N, Wierzba TF, Walker RI, Venkatesan MM, Raqib R. Functional Antibodies and Innate Immune Responses to WRSS1, a Live Oral Shigella sonnei Vaccine Candidate, in Bangladeshi Adults and Children. J Infect Dis. 2021 Dec 20;224(12 Suppl 2):S829-S839.
• Akhtar E, Roy AK, Haq MA, von Ehrenstein OS, Ahmed S, Vahter M, Ekstrom EC, Kippler M, Wagatsuma Y, Raqib R. A longitudinal study of rural Bangladeshi children with long-term arsenic and cadmium exposures and biomarkers of cardiometabolic diseases. Environ Pollut. 2021 Feb 15;271:116333.
• Mily A, Sarker P, Taznin I, Hossain D, Haq MA, Kamal SMM, Agerberth B, Brighenti S, Raqib R. Slow radiological improvement and persistent low-grade inflammation after chemotherapy in tuberculosis patients with type 2 diabetes. BMC Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 7;20(1):933
• Smits JE, Krohn RM, Akhtar E, Hore SK, Yunus M, Vandenberg A, Raqib R. Food as medicine: Selenium enriched lentils offer relief against chronic arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh. Environ Res. 2019 Sep;176:108561.
• Raqib R, Sarker P, Zaman K, Alam NH, Wierzba TF, Maier N, Talukder K, Baqui AH, Suvarnapunya AE, Qadri F, Walker RI, Fix A, Venkatesan MM. A phase I trial of WRSS1, a Shigella sonnei live oral vaccine in Bangladeshi adults and children. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2019;15(6):1326-1337.
• Siddiqua TJ, Ahmad SM, Ahsan KB, Rashid M, Roy A, Rahman SM, Shahab-Ferdows S, Hampel D, Ahmed T, Allen LH, Raqib R. Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy and postpartum improves B12 status of both mothers and infants but vaccine response in mothers only: a randomized clinical trial in Bangladesh. Eur J Nutr. 2016 Feb;55(1):281-93.
• Mily A, Rekha RS, Kamal SM, Arifuzzaman AS, Rahim Z, Khan L, Haq MA, Zaman K, Bergman P, Brighenti S, Gudmundsson GH, Agerberth B, Raqib R. Significant Effects of Oral Phenylbutyrate and Vitamin D3 Adjunctive Therapy in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS One. 2015 Sep 22;10(9):e0138340.
• Raqib R, Sarker P, Bergman P, Ara G, Lindh M, Sack DA, Nasirul Islam KM, Gudmundsson GH, Andersson J, Agerberth B. Improved outcome in shigellosis associated with butyrate induction of an endogenous peptide antibiotic. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jun 13;103(24):9178-83.
• Raqib R, Rahman J, Kamaluddin AK, Kamal SM, Banu FA, Ahmed S, Rahim Z, Bardhan PK, Andersson J, Sack DA. Rapid diagnosis of active tuberculosis by detecting antibodies from lymphocyte secretions. J Infect Dis. 2003 Aug 1;188(3):364-70.
• Raqib R, Lindberg AA, Wretlind B, Bardhan PK, Andersson U, Andersson J. Persistence of local cytokine production in shigellosis in acute and convalescent stages. Infect Immun. 1995 Jan;63(1):289-96.