On 21st January 2026, over 200 researchers, clinicians and public health professionals came together for the "BARN Dissemination Webinar" to understand the burden of neonatal sepsis in Bangladesh and discuss research-driven solutions.

The Bangladesh Initiative for Advancing Research on Neonatal Infections (BARN) is a research partnership between CHRF and the UK Hub of the Centres for Antimicrobial Optimisation Network (CAMO-Net) to address the rising problem of neonatal sepsis in Bangladesh. It is supported by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and Wellcome Trust.

The webinar opened with remarks by Dr. Senjuti Saha, Deputy Executive Director at CHRF, and Prof. Alison Holmes, Director, CAMO-Net Lead, University of Liverpool & Imperial College. Presentations followed, with Dr. Yogesh Hooda, Senior Scientist at CHRF, presenting key insights in neonatal sepsis in Bangladesh, the pathogen that causes it and its AMR patterns.

The following presentations highlighted innovative technologies. Dr. Yu Wan, Research Fellow, University of Liverpool, and Dr. Mohammad Sajib, Post-doctoral Fellow, CHRF, highlighted PathoPath, a pathogen transmission tracking tool. Dr. David Freeman, Research Associate, Imperial College, concluded the presentations spotlighting cutting edge biosensors that can help monitor maternal and child health. Each segment ended with interactive Q&A sessions, encouraging participants to think further and reflect on the challenges of neonatal sepsis in Bangladesh.

The webinar concluded as Dr. Saha and Dr. Holmes delivered heartfelt closing remarks, emphasizing that research findings must go beyond the lab and reach the babies of Bangladesh.