Najmul Haider

Biography

Dr. Najmul Haider is an epidemiologist with over 15 years of research experience in infectious diseases, focusing on regions in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Originally trained as a veterinarian, Dr. Haider has established a career centered on the One Health approach. His doctoral research, conducted at the Technical University of Denmark, explored modeling vector-borne diseases in Scandinavian climates, marking his shift towards mosquito-borne disease studies, especially dengue. He earned his PhD in Epidemiology in 2018.

Since October 1, 2022, Dr. Haider has been working as a Lecturer in Epidemiology at the School of Life Sciences, Keele University. His research currently emphasizes two primary areas: (1) One Health strategies for addressing emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential in Sub-Saharan Africa (including work in Sierra Leone and the Republic of Congo) on pathogens such as Lassa fever, Chikungunya, and Ebola viruses; and (2) the transmission dynamics of arboviruses, with a particular focus on dengue in Bangladesh. Dr. Haider employs statistical and mathematical models to investigate pathways that interrupt the transmission chain (spillover) of pathogens from animals to humans, as well as the transmission of vector-borne diseases between humans. Dr. Haider’s recent work on dengue has been highlighted in international news media, including The Guardian.

Dr. Haider earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, MSc in Veterinary Theriogenology, and Master of Public Health in Bangladesh. From 2008 to 2014, he contributed to UC CDC-funded research on zoonotic diseases at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), a leading health research organization, where he focused on anthrax and avian influenza A/H5N1. In 2015, he moved to Denmark to pursue his PhD in epidemiology. From 2019 to 2022, Dr. Haider worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK, contributing to One Health research projects through the PANDORA-ID-NET consortium, with a focus on Lassa fever and Chikungunya in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Najmul was able to rapidly apply his epidemiological expertise to support global response efforts. His publication on the impact of lockdown measures on COVID-19 transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa was referenced in several policy papers by the UN, World Bank, and WHO.

View my Google Scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Iv4wObEAAAAJ&hl=en

Research and scholarship

Climate change, and Transmission dynamics of Dengue virus in Bangladesh

Role: Understanding the impact of climate change on the annual incidence of dengue cases and deaths in Bangladesh

West African One-Health-action for understanding, preventing and mitigating outbreaks

Role: Understanding the risk factors for Lassa fever and Ebola virus in Sierra Leone

PANDORA-ID-NET (https://www.pandora-id.net/): Multidisciplinary one Health Research project working in nine Sub-Saharan African countries

Role: Postdoctoral Researcher (to coordinate the field research activities on Lassa fever virus in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Republic of Congo)

Role of Microclimatic temperature in vector-borne disease transmission Scandinavian climates: (Funded by Danish Food and Veterinary Agency)

Role: PhD Students (2015-208), Research Assistant (Nov-Dec/2018)

Identifying emerging infectious zoonoses in Bangladesh: (Funded by Google and Rockefeller Foundation: 2008-2014, through EcoHeath Alliance, New York, USA)

Role: Field Research coordinator (Sample collection, coordination, and shipment)

Anthrax outbreak investigation/response in Bangladesh (Funded by US CDC, 2009-2014)

Role: Outbreak investigator (Veterinary part)

Identifying the risk factors for avian influenza outbreaks in backyard poultry flocks in Bangladesh (Funded by US CDC: 2008-2014)

Role: Principal investigator

Zoonotic tuberculosis in cattle, goats, and humans in Bangladesh (Funded by US CDC: 2008-2014) 

Role: Principal investigator

Collaborations and grants awards

1. West African One-Health-action for understanding, preventing and mitigating outbreaks. Grant number: 109810-001. Duration: Nov 2022-May/2025. Funder: Canadian International Research Centre. Amount: $4.2 million (Canadian dollar). Role: Co-investigator.
2. Prevention, early detection, and control of Dengue in Nepal. Duration: 1 Mar 2024 - 31 Jul 2024. Funder: Research England. Amount: £15,090. Role: Co-investigator.
3. A prospective and retrospective multi-center, cohort study for clinical, virologic, and immunologic characterization of monkeypox virus clade IIb by the International Monkeypox Response Consortium (IMREC), Grant:489062. Duration: 1/10/22-20/09/2023. Funder: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research and IDRC. [Project closed]. Role: Co-Investigator. Amount: $1.1 Million (Canadian dollar).
4. Maximizing benefit and minimizing the harm of COVID-19 control measures on child and women’s health in Four Sub-Saharan African countries.  Duration: Nov/2020 -July 2021: Funder: UKRI GCRF/Newton Fund Agile Response. Grant number: GCRF-NF391. Amount: £500,000. Role: Co-investigator
5. The Pan-African Network For Rapid Research, Response, Relief, and Preparedness for Infectious Disease Epidemics (PANDORA-ID-NET): Grant number: EDCTP 373 Reg/Grant RIA2016E-1609. Duration: Oct/2018-Sept/2024. Funder: European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 2 (EDCTP2) Role: co-investigator of NCE application, Amount: €11 million