Firdausi Qadri
{{short description|Bangladeshi scientist}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Firdausi Qadri
| native_name = ফিরদৌসী কাদরী
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|03|31|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| fields = Immunology, vaccine, microbiology
| workplaces = ICDDR,B
| alma_mater = {{ubl|University of Dhaka|Liverpool University}}
| awards = full list
}}
Firdausi Qadri (born 31 March 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 and has expertise on other infectious disease like ETEC, Typhoid, Helicobacter pylori, rotavirus, etc. Currently, she is working as a director for Centre for Vaccine Sciences of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). She also serves as chairperson of the Institute for developing Science and Health initiatives.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ideshi.org/people/dr-firdausi-qadri/ |title=Dr. Firdausi Qadri |website=Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives |access-date=2019-07-16}} Her scientific achievements lie in enteric infections and vaccines including Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli—major causes of severe diarrhea. She has also focused on studying the immune response in Helicobacter pylori infected people in Bangladesh and the responses in patients with typhoid fever as well as vaccinees.{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/influenza_vaccines_plan/advisory_group/qadri/en/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029111832/http://www.who.int/influenza_vaccines_plan/advisory_group/qadri/en/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |title=Dr Firdausi Qadri |website=World Health Organization}} The Government of Bangladesh awarded her the Independence Award in 2023.{{Cite web |title=9 people, fire service to receive Independence Award 2023 |url=https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/9-people-fire-service-to-receive-independence-award-2023/111567 |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=unb.com.bd}}
Education and professional qualification
{{BLP unsourced section|date=January 2021}}
Qadri got her BSc and MSc degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Dhaka in 1975 and 1977 respectively. In 1980, she got her PhD degree in biochemistry/immunology from University of Liverpool. After completing her postdoc in immunology from ICDDR,B she joined as an associate scientist in 1988 in the same institution. Currently, she is the senior scientist and director of Centre for Vaccine Science at ICDDR,B.
Research contributions
Qadri has focused her research on enteric diseases, specifically in the areas of immunology, genomics, proteomic technology and diagnostics, and vaccine development. She endeavored to introduce a new cheap oral cholera vaccine in Bangladesh {{Cite journal|last1=Qadri|first1=Firdausi|last2=Clemens|first2=John D.|last3=Sarker|first3=Abdur Razzaque|last4=Islam|first4=Md Taufiqul|last5=Ali|first5=Mohammad|last6=Islam|first6=Muhammad Shariful|last7=Khan|first7=Jahangir A. M.|last8=Dimitrov|first8=Dobromir T.|last9=DeRoeck|first9=Denise|date=2018-10-09|title=The impact and cost-effectiveness of controlling cholera through the use of oral cholera vaccines in urban Bangladesh: A disease modeling and economic analysis|journal=PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases|language=en|volume=12|issue=10|pages=e0006652|doi=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006652|issn=1935-2735|pmc=6177119|pmid=30300420 |doi-access=free }} in replacement of Dukoral, which is costly for poor people and cost-ineffective as a public health tool.{{Cite journal|last1=Hutubessy|first1=Raymond|last2=Tebbens|first2=Radboud J. Duintjer|last3=Reyburn|first3=Rita|last4=Khatib|first4=Ahmed M.|last5=Chaignat|first5=Claire-Lise|last6=Ali|first6=Said M.|last7=Weiss|first7=Mitchell G.|last8=Schaetti|first8=Christian|date=2012-10-04|title=Costs of Illness Due to Cholera, Costs of Immunization and Cost-Effectiveness of an Oral Cholera Mass Vaccination Campaign in Zanzibar|journal=PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases|language=en|volume=6|issue=10|pages=e1844|doi=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001844|issn=1935-2735|pmc=3464297|pmid=23056660 |doi-access=free }} She demonstrated the efficacy of Shanchol vaccine in mass population in slam areas in Dhaka,{{Cite journal|title=Efficacy of a Single-Dose, Inactivated Oral Cholera Vaccine in Bangladesh|journal = New England Journal of Medicine|volume = 374|issue = 18|pages = 1723–1732|last1=Qadri|first1=Firdausi|last2=Wierzba|first2=Thomas F.|date=2016-05-04|language=EN|doi=10.1056/nejmoa1510330|pmid = 27144848|last3=Ali|first3=Mohammad|last4=Chowdhury|first4=Fahima|last5=Khan|first5=Ashraful I.|last6=Saha|first6=Amit|last7=Khan|first7=Iqbal A.|last8=Asaduzzaman|first8=Muhammad|last9=Akter|first9=Afroza|doi-access=free|hdl=10852/77703|hdl-access=free}} then worked to have it adopted as a public health intervention in Bangladesh,{{Cite journal|last1=Khan|first1=Iqbal Ansary|last2=Khan|first2=Ashraful Islam|last3=Rahman|first3=Anisur|last4=Siddique|first4=Shah Alam|last5=Islam|first5=Md Taufiqul|last6=Bhuiyan|first6=Md Amirul Islam|last7=Chowdhury|first7=Atique Iqbal|last8=Saha|first8=Nirod Chandra|last9=Biswas|first9=Prasanta Kumar|date=2019-01-01|title=Organization and implementation of an oral cholera vaccination campaign in an endemic urban setting in Dhaka, Bangladesh|journal=Global Health Action|volume=12|issue=1|pages=1574544|doi=10.1080/16549716.2019.1574544|issn=1654-9716|pmc=6383613|pmid=30764750}} including Rohingya refugees.{{Cite journal|last1=Clemens|first1=John D.|last2=Singh|first2=Poonam Khetrapal|last3=Nair|first3=G. Balakrish|last4=Islam|first4=Md Taufiqul|last5=Khan|first5=Ashraful Islam|last6=Flora|first6=Meerjady Sabrina|last7=Azad|first7=Abul Kalam|last8=Qadri|first8=Firdausi|date=2018-05-12|title=Emergency deployment of oral cholera vaccine for the Rohingya in Bangladesh|url=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)30993-0/abstract|journal=The Lancet|language=English|volume=391|issue=10133|pages=1877–1879|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30993-0|issn=0140-6736|pmid=29781432|s2cid=29159499}}
Honours and awards
In 2012, Qadri was awarded the Fondation Christophe et Rodolphe Mérieux's annual scientific 'Grand Prize', called the "Christophe Mérieux Prize", for her research on infectious enteric diseases.{{Cite web|url=http://www.institut-de-france.fr/sites/institut-de-france.fr/files/prix_merieux_2013_appel_candidatures_ang.pdf|title=Institut de France - Accueil}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.fondation-merieux.org/en/what-we-do/enhancing-research-capabilities/enchancing-skills-scientists/institut-de-france-christophe-merieux-prize/|title=Institut de France's Christophe Mérieux Prize|date=2013-09-17|website=Mérieux Foundation|language=fr|access-date=2019-07-16}} This award made possible the creation of the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi) in 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ideshi.org/about-ideshi/ |title=About Us |website=Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives |access-date=2019-07-16 |archive-date=2019-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716132753/https://www.ideshi.org/about-ideshi/ |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite news |title=Bangladeshi scientist Qadri named member of high-level UN panel |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/bangladeshi-scientist-qadri-named-member-of-high-level-un-panel-52312 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=2014-11-27}} She is also listed in the Asian Scientist 100 list published by magazine Asian Scientist.{{Cite news |date=2021-04-28|title=3 Bangladeshi researchers named in Asian Scientist 100 list|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/science/news/3-bangladeshi-researchers-named-asian-scientist-100-list-2085337|access-date=2021-05-01|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}
In August 2021, the Ramon Magsaysay Award was presented to Firdausi Qadri.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rmaward.asia/awardee/firdausi-qadri|title=Firdausi Qadri|date=August 31, 2021|access-date=August 31, 2021}}
Memberships
Qadri is a founder and a member of Board of Advisory of the Bangladesh Society of Microbiologists.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bsm.org.bd/board-of-advisory/ |title=Board of Advisory |website=Bangladesh Society of Microbiologists |access-date=2019-07-16}} She is the International Ambassador for the American Society for Microbiology Bangladesh{{cite web |url=http://www.asm.org/index.php/component/content/article/28-international/7776-asm-ambassador-contact-information |title=Contact The ASM International Ambassador in Your Country! |website=American Society for Microbiology |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105164343/http://www.asm.org/index.php/component/content/article/28-international/7776-asm-ambassador-contact-information |archive-date=2013-11-05}} and a fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences since 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.bas.org.bd/fellowship/list-of-fellows-/userprofile/fqadri.html |title=Dr. Firdausi Qadri |website=Bangladesh Academy of Science |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610213525/http://www.bas.org.bd/fellowship/list-of-fellows-/userprofile/fqadri.html |archive-date=2015-06-10}}
Awards
- Gold Medal Award from the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences{{Cite web|url=http://www.bas.org.bd/awards/gold-medal-award.html|title=Academy Gold Medal Award|website=Bangladesh Academy of Sciences|access-date=2019-07-16|archive-date=2015-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926174053/http://www.bas.org.bd/awards/gold-medal-award.html|url-status=dead}} in 2005
- Christophe Mérieux Prize in 2012
- Anannya Top Ten Awards in 2013
- C. N. R. Rao Prize in 2013, one of the awards conferred annually by TWAS, the world academy of sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries.{{cite web|url=http://twas.ictp.it/news-in-home-page/news/bangladeshi-immunologist-wins-the-c.n.r.-rao-prize|title=Bangladeshi immunologist wins the C.N.R. Rao Prize|website=The World Academy of Sciences|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005000222/http://twas.ictp.it/news-in-home-page/news/bangladeshi-immunologist-wins-the-c.n.r.-rao-prize|archive-date=2013-10-05}}
- L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards in 2020
- Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2021
- Independence Day Award in 2023
- VinFuture Prize's Developing Country Innovator in 2024{{Cite web |date=December 7, 2024 |title=The VinFuture 2024 Grand Prize honours 5 scientists for transformational contributions to the advancement of deep learning |url=https://vietnamnews.vn/Society/1688552/the-vinfuture-2024-grand-prize-honours-5-scientists-for-transformational-contributions-to-the-advancement-of-deep-learning.html |website=Việt Nam News}}
References
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Category:University of Dhaka alumni
Category:Alumni of the University of Liverpool
Category:Bangladeshi scientists
Category:Fellows of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences
Category:Foreign fellows of the Indian National Science Academy
Category:L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science laureates