I joined icddr,b as a Project Research Physician on January 6, 2019, under the Child Health and Mortality
Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS)
project.
Joining icddr,b was a dream come true for me, as it is for many aspiring researchers in Bangladesh. Known as
a hub for world-renowned public health scientists, icddr,b offers an unparalleled learning environment for
those passionate about advancing public health research. For anyone in Bangladesh aspiring to become a
public health scientist, icddr,b is the ultimate school of learning and discovery—and it was no different
for me.
My Roles and Activities
Field team supervision and management
I supervise the hospital surveillacne field team of CHAMPS Bangladesh. My team consists of 11 physicians, 5 anthropologists,
2 nurses and more than 10 other supporting staff. I am responsible for ensuring the surveillance activity is
conducted following the CHAMPS protocol, ensuring the ethical standards. Troubleshoot any issues that arise during the field,
propose solutions to the issues, and ensure the team is able to conduct the activity efficiently and effectively.
A large part of my role is to maintain liaison with the stakeholders and ensure the team is able to conduct the activity efficiently and effectively.
A quick snap during a team meeting - CHAMPS Bangladesh
Organising and conducting CHAMPS dissemination sessions
I am responisble for organising and conducting data desssimination sessions with the local and district level
stakeholders. During my time at icddr,b, I have organised and conducted more than 20 dissemination sessions with the local and district level
stakeholders. I also have supported multiple national level dissemination sessions with the national level stakeholders.
Me with my colleagues at a dissemination session at the Rajbari Civil Surgeon Office
I am presenting at a data sharing session at ZMCH
Capacity building of the field team
My role includes building and enhancing the capacity of the team, including skills in research conceptualization,
data collection and analysis, medical ethics, biosafety, manuscript development, and more. I am responsible for
ensuring that the team is well-equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their duties effectively as well as
grow as an independent researcher. I am also responsible for organising the refresher trainings of MITS, IPC trainings, consent taking and others.
These continuous professional development activities to foster a culture of learning and improvement within the team.
Glimpse of a day-long session organized to brainstorm a structured clinical form for hospital-admitted under-five children
Introducing CHAMPS field activities with donors and international partners
I am responsible for introducing and providing an orientation of the CHAMPS hospital surveillance field team's activities to donors and international
partners, and addressing their queries. During my time with CHAMPS, I have organized and conducted orientations for donors, researchers, and officials
from the Gates Foundation,
Oxford University,
CDC,
CEPI,
UNICEF,
WHO, and other international partners.
This role involves ensuring that stakeholders are well-informed about our activities and fostering strong relationships with them to support our mission.
Describing CHAMPS data to action activities at FMCH, Bangladesh
to Marc Bulterys, Senior Program Officer, Gates Foundation
I am introducing CHAMPS MITS activities with researchers from Oxford University and CEPI
Data to action and other research activities
Over the years, I have been the key implementer of the CHAMPS data-to-action activities at the facility level. These activities include addressing major causes
of neonatal mortalities, such as sepsis. We conduct regular hospital environmental sampling to pinpoint the sources and understand the transmission dynamics
of pathogens that may cause nosocomial infections. One of our research initiatives led to
the introduction of separate suction tubes for each admitted child at ZMCH.
Another finding, highlighting the lack
of adequate clinical information, led to the introduction of a structured clinical form at FMCH.
With the laboratory team of icddr,b conducting environmental sampling at FMCH, Bangladesh
Other roles and activities
I am also responsible for other roles and activities, such as:
-
MITS Trainer
I serve as one of the trainers for Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS) for newly appointed physicians at CHAMPS Bangladesh.
To date, I have trained 15 physicians in MITS techniques. I am also responsible for organizing refresher
training sessions for CHAMPS MITS physicians to ensure they remain up-to-date with best practices.
Additionally, I provide training and support to other physicians, including arranging and
conducting training sessions on MITS procedures for physicians working in different studies.
-
Outbreak Investigator
I have participated in outbreak investigations of possible infectious disease outbreaks in the community, in collaboration
with IEDCR and
icddr,b.
