Firdausi Qadri
| Firdausi Qadri | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 31, 1951 |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Fields |
Immunology Vaccine |
| Institutions | ICDDR,B |
| Alma mater |
University of Dhaka Liverpool University |
Firdausi Qadri (born March 31, 1951) is a Bangladeshi scientist with specialization in immunology and infectious disease research. She has worked over 25 years on the development of vaccines for cholera[1] and has expertise on other infectious disease like ETEC, Typhoid, Helicobacter pylori, rota virus, etc. Currently, she is working as a director for Centre for Vaccine Sciences of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). Her scientific achievements lie in enteric and diarrheal infections and vaccines including Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli—major causes of severe diarrhea as well as enteric disease. She has also focused on studying the immune response in H.pylori infected people in Bangladesh and the responses in patients with typhoid fever as well as vaccinees.[1]
Education and professional qualification
Qadri got her B.Sc and MS degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1975 and 1977 respectively. In 1980, she got her Ph.D. degree in biochemistry/immunology from Liverpool University, United Kingdom. After completing her postdoc in immunology from icddr,b, she joined as an associate scientist in 1988 in the same institution. Currently, she is senior scientist and director of Centre for Vaccine Science, icddr,b.
Research contributions
Qadri has been trying to introduce a new cheap vaccine for cholera in Bangladesh after Dukoral, which is costly for poor people. As a try of it, she has already introduced Shanchol vaccine in mass population in slam areas in Dhaka.
Honours and awards
In 2008, Qadri received the Gold Medal from the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.[2] In 2012, Qadri was awarded the Christophe Mérieux Prize, for her research on infectious enteric diseases, a scourge in developing countries.[3][4] In 2013, she was awarded the C. N. R. Rao Prize, one of the awards conferred annually by TWAS, the world academy of sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries.[5] In 2014 she has been named as a member of a high-level panel which will advise the UN chief on the organizational and operational aspects of a proposed Technology Bank and Science, Technology and Innovation Supporting Mechanism dedicated to the least developed countries.[6]
Memberships
Qadri is the International Ambassador for the American Society for Microbiology Bangladesh[7] and a member of the Bangladesh Academy of Science.[8]
References
- 1 2 "Dr Firdausi Qadri". World Health Organization.
- ↑ "ICDDR,B team to aid relief efforts following Cyclone Aila". icddr,b.
- ↑ http://www.institut-de-france.fr/sites/institut-de-france.fr/files/prix_merieux_2013_appel_candidatures_ang.pdf
- ↑ "Firdausi Qadri". Institut de France: Grands Prix des Fondations.
- ↑ "Bangladeshi immunologist wins the C.N.R. Rao Prize". The World Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013.
- ↑ "Bangladeshi scientist Qadri named member of high-level UN panel". The Daily Star. 27 November 2014.
- ↑ "Contact The ASM International Ambassador in Your Country!". American Society for Microbiology. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013.
- ↑ "Dr. Firdausi Qadri". Bangladesh Academy of Science. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015.