Bio:
Dr. Firdausi Qadri is a Senior Scientist in the Infectious Disease Division and heads the Mucosal Immunology and Vaccinology Unit at icddr,b in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She established the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi), where her research spans fundamental and applied immunology of infectious diseases, as well as clinical trials and comprehensive field studies on vaccines. Dr. Qadri is a prominent fellow and participant in various scientific organizations, including ASM, AAM, TWAS, IDSA, BAS, INSA, and NITAG. She serves on several advisory boards, particularly the ISDB science board and the UN high-level panel, which advise on the proposed Technology Bank designed to assist the world’s least developed countries in overcoming poverty through biotechnology and innovation. Her recent research has focused on infections and vaccinations against cholera, typhoid, COVID-19, and HPV, resulting in more than 650 articles in esteemed peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Qadri has received multiple prestigious awards recognizing her pivotal contributions to infectious disease management, immunology, vaccine innovation, and clinical research. These honors include the Gold Medal in Biological Sciences from the Bangladesh Academy of Science, the Moselio Schaechter Award from the American Society for Microbiology, the Christophe & Rodolphe Mérieux Foundation Prize from the French Academy of Sciences, and the Prof. C.N.R. Rao Prize from TWAS. In 2020, she received the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for her work in understanding and preventing infectious diseases among children in developing nations, as well as for advocating early diagnosis and vaccination with a global health impact. Furthermore, Dr. Qadri was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2021, often dubbed Asia’s Nobel Prize, and in 2023 she earned the Independence Award (Swadhinata Padak), Bangladesh’s highest accolade, for her remarkable contributions to research and training. This recognition represents a significant achievement for women scientists and serves as a motivating force for the younger generation in Bangladesh. In 2024, she was honored with the Clara Southmayd Ludlow Medal from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the VinFuture Prize from Vietnam for her outstanding contributions.