We are an international health research institute based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Our research is addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges.
We aim to ensure that our evidence and experience is widely shared.
Stay up to date with our research and activities.
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“icddr,b provides me the platform to do exactly the type of work I want to be engaged in. There is always an opportunity to do something meaningful.”
I was watching a documentary on the discovery channel in 2001 when I first heard the world microbiology. This peaked my curiosity which lead to my career as microbiologist. In 2009, I worked on the newly emerged pandemic Influenza H1N1 (Swine Flu). One of my major responsibilities was to identify the presence of pandemic Influenza H1N1 from clinical samples using Real Time PCR. I have also performed multiplex Real Time PCR for detection of bacterial and viral pathogens from different specimens collected from children with severe pneumonia and also coordinated between laboratory and field sites. As an Assistant Scientist at icddrb my work includes coordination of laboratory activities, investigating the etiologic agents from diverse clinical specimens and studying the antimicrobial resistant patterns from different clinical isolates. During COVID-19 pandemic, I worked extensively on development of national SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis protocols, and arranged training for new recruits of nation-wide SARS-CoV-2 testing laboratories. I established pseudovirus based neutralization assay to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies in the virology laboratory of icddr,b.
Why I work at icddr,b:
icddr,b’s is the type of work place where you will never become bored. There is always something new happening which will always keep you interested and give me the opportunity to learn. icddr,b also provides me the platform to do exactly the type of work I want to be engaged in.
Future Plans:
I want to develop myself as an independent scientist in the field of biomedical research and continue my work as a microbiologist.
2018
Assistant Scientist, Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b
2017
Research Investigator, IDD, icddr,b
Post-doctoral Researcher, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Japan
2012 - 2016
Graduate Student, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Japan
2011 - 2016
Senior Research Officer, icddr,b
2009 - 2011
Research Officer, icddr,b
2006
M.S. in Microbiology, University of Dhaka
2005 - 2011
B.Sc. (Hons.) in Microbiology, University of Dhaka
(Under Development)Â
1. Breiman RF, Blau DM, Mutevedzi P, Akelo V, Mandomando I, Ogbuanu IU, Sow SO, Madrid L, El Arifeen S, Garel M, Thwala NB, Onyango D, Sitoe A, Bassey IA, Keita AM, Alemu A, Alam M, Mahtab S, Gethi D, Varo R, Ojulong J, Samura S, Mehta A, Ibrahim AM, Rahman A, Vitorino P, Baillie VL, Agaya J, Tapia MD, Assefa N, Chowdhury AI, Scott JAG, Gurley ES, Kotloff KL, Jambai A, Bassat Q, Tippett-Barr BA, Madhi SA, Whitney CG; CHAMPS Consortium. Postmortem investigations and identification of multiple causes of child deaths: An analysis of findings from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network. PLoS Med. 2021 Sep 30;18(9):e1003814. PMID: 34591862
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2. Alam M, Jahan MI, Jahan S, Blau DM, Rahman A, Rahman MZ, Hossain MZ, Gurley ES, Arifeen SE, Rahman M. Coding-Complete Sequence of a SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.25 Lineage Obtained from an 8-Day-Old Deceased Neonate. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2021 Sep 2;10(35):e0075621.PMID: 34472974
3. Blau DM, Baillie VL, Els T, Mahtab S, Mutevedzi P, Keita AM, Kotloff KL, Mehta A, Sow SO, Tapia MD, Tippett Barr BA, Oluoch BO, Onyango C, Revathi G, Verani JR, Abayneh M, Assefa N, Madrid L, Oundo JO, Scott JAG, Bassat Q, Mandomando I, Sitoe A, Valente M, Varo R, Bassey IA, Cain CJ, Jambai A, Ogbuanu I, Ojulong J, Alam M, El Arifeen S, Gurley ES, Rahman A, Rahman M, Waller JL, Dewey B, Breiman RF, Whitney CG, Madhi SA; CHAMPS Consortium. Deaths Attributed to Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Young Children in High-Mortality Rate Settings: Report from Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS). Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Sep 2;73(Suppl_3):S218-S228. PMID: 34472577
4. Brooks WA, Zaman K, Goswami D, Prosperi C, Endtz HP, Hossain L, Rahman M, Ahmed D, Rahman MZ, Banu S, Shikder AU, Jahan Y, Nahar K, Chisti MJ, Yunus M, Khan MA, Matin FB, Mazumder R, Shahriar Bin Elahi M, Saifullah M, Alam M, Bin Shahid ASMS, Haque F, Sultana S, Higdon MM, Haddix M, Feikin DR, Murdoch DR, Hammitt LL, O'Brien KL, Deloria Knoll M. The Etiology of Childhood Pneumonia in Bangladesh: Findings From the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) Study. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2021 Sep 1;40(9S):S79-S90. PMID: 34448747
5. Taylor AW, Blau DM, Bassat Q, Onyango D, Kotloff KL, Arifeen SE, Mandomando I, Chawana R, Baillie VL, Akelo V, Tapia MD, Salzberg NT, Keita AM, Morris T, Nair S, Assefa N, Seale AC, Scott JAG, Kaiser R, Jambai A, Barr BAT, Gurley ES, Ordi J, Zaki SR, Sow SO, Islam F, Rahman A, Dowell SF, Koplan JP, Raghunathan PL, Madhi SA, Breiman RF; CHAMPS Consortium. Â Initial findings from a novel population-based child mortality surveillance approach: a descriptive study. Lancet Glob Health. 2020 Jul;8(7):e909-e919. PMID: 32562647
6. Alam MM, Kuwata T, Tanaka K, Alam M, Takahama S, Shimura K, Matsuoka M, Fukuda N, Morioka H, Tamamura H, Matsushita S. Synergistic inhibition of cell-to-cell HIV-1 infection by combinations of single chain variable fragments and fusion inhibitors. Biochem Biophys Rep. 2019 Sep 21;20:100687. PMID: 31650039
7. Tanaka K, Kuwata T, Alam M, Kaplan G, Takahama S, Valdez KPR, Roitburd-Berman A, Gershoni JM, Matsushita S. Unique binding modes for the broad neutralizing activity of single-chain variable fragments (scFv) targeting CD4-induced epitopes. Retrovirology. 2017 Sep 22;14(1):44. PMID: 28938888
8. Murdoch DR, Morpeth SC, Hammitt LL, Driscoll AJ, Watson NL, Baggett HC, Brooks WA, Deloria Knoll M, Feikin DR, Kotloff KL, Levine OS, Madhi SA, O'Brien KL, Scott JAG, Thea DM, Adrian PV, Ahmed D, Alam M, Awori JO, DeLuca AN, Higdon MM, Karron RA, Kwenda G, Machuka EM, Makprasert S, McLellan J, Moore DP, Mwaba J, Mwarumba S, Park DE, Prosperi C, Sangwichian O, Sissoko S, Tapia MD, Zeger SL, Howie SRC; PERCH Study Group. The Diagnostic Utility of Induced Sputum Microscopy and Culture in Childhood Pneumonia. Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Jun 15;64(suppl_3):S280-S288. PMID: 28575362
9. Driscoll AJ, Karron RA, Morpeth SC, Bhat N, Levine OS, Baggett HC, Brooks WA, Feikin DR, Hammitt LL, Howie SRC, Knoll MD, Kotloff KL, Madhi SA, Scott JAG, Thea DM, Adrian PV, Ahmed D, Alam M, Anderson TP, Antonio M, Baillie VL, Dione M, Endtz HP, Gitahi C, Karani A, Kwenda G, Maiga AA, McClellan J, Mitchell JL, Morailane P, Mugo D, Mwaba J, Mwansa J, Mwarumba S, Nyongesa S, Panchalingam S, Rahman M, Sawatwong P, Tamboura B, Toure A, Whistler T, O'Brien KL, Murdoch DR. Standardization of Laboratory Methods for the PERCH Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Jun 15;64(suppl_3):S245-S252. PMID: 28575358
10. Alam M, Kuwata T, Shimura K, Yokoyama M, Ramirez Valdez KP, Tanaka K, Maruta Y, Oishi S, Fujii N, Sato H, Matsuoka M, Matsushita S. Enhanced antibody-mediated neutralization of HIV-1 variants that are resistant to fusion inhibitors. Retrovirology. 2016 Sep 27;13(1):70. PMID: 27670680
11. Maruta Y, Kuwata T, Tanaka K, Alam M, Valdez KP, Egami Y, Suwa Y, Morioka H, Matsushita S. Cross-Neutralization Activity of Single-Chain Variable Fragment (scFv) Derived from Anti-V3 Monoclonal Antibodies Mediated by Post-Attachment Binding. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2016 Sep 21;69(5):395-404. PMID: 26902223
12. Ramirez Valdez KP, Kuwata T, Maruta Y, Tanaka K, Alam M, Yoshimura K, Matsushita S. Complementary and synergistic activities of anti-V3, CD4bs and CD4i antibodies derived from a single individual can cover a wide range of HIV-1 strains. Virology. 2015 Jan 15;475:187-203. PMID: 25486586
13. Alam M, Farzana T, Ahsan CR, Yasmin M, Nessa J. Distribution of coliphages against four E. coli virotypes in hospital originated sewage sample and a sewage treatment plant in Bangladesh. Indian J Microbiol. 2011 Jun;51(2):188-93. PMID: 22654163
14. Alam M, Akhter MZ, Yasmin M, Ahsan CR, Nessa J. Local bacteriophage isolates showed anti- Escherichia coli O157:H7 potency in an experimental ligated rabbit ileal loop model. Can J Microbiol. 2011 May;57(5):408-15. PMID: 21542784Â
