Research &
Surveillance

To prevent infections, our multidisciplinary team monitors where diseases are spreading, and investigate to understand how and why. Our work covers a range of topics, all aiming to promote and implement better healthcare in Bangladesh and worldwide.

Infectious Disease

Our disease detectives are hard at work every day to understand microorganisms which cause deadly diseases.

Genomics

We learn more about microorganisms by looking at the molecular level to understand how they work.

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Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is one of the world’s biggest concerns, we monitor AMR and also seek novel antimicrobials.

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Demographic Surveillance

Not all children who fall sick visit the hospital, so we look to the community as well to truly understand child health.

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Ongoing Projects

2022-Ongoing
Sabin Vaccine Institute, USA
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

Data management of Multi-site Surveillance for Enteric-Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) - Phase 4

This is a data management project on Multi-site Surveillance for Enteric-­Fever in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. It will support in managing the data generated by the SEAP projects in...

2019-ongoing
Sabin Vaccine Institute, USA
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

Surveillance for Enteric-Fever in Asia Project (SEAP)

This prospective study will generate comprehensive data on burden of typhoid and para-­‐typhoid fever in Bangladesh, using the established network of sentinel and population-based sites....

2022-ongoing
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

Bacteriophages and the spread of drug-resistant Salmonella Typhi

Using bacteriophages to study the spread of drug-resistant Salmonella Typhi across regions of Bangladesh

2022-ongoing
Stanford University
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

AMARI

A Mobile Autism Risk Initiative (AMARI) to Detect Autism Spectrum Disorder in Bangladesh Children under the Age of 4

2022-ongoing
Illumina Corporate Foundation, USA
Senjuti Saha (PI)

Building The Next Generation of Scientists

Developing skills in Next Generation Sequencing techniques for young students, professionals, and scientists in Bangladesh

2022-ongoing
Genome Research Limited (Sanger), UK
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

GBS Genomic Surveillance in LMICs

In this project, we will be mainly using tools from Genotyping-by-sequencing to perform genomic surveillance of different infectious diseases existing in low and middle-income countries...

2022-ongoing
Boston Children’s Hospital, USA
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

Pediatric Cell Atlas

A Global Pediatric Cell Atlas of Nasal and Oral Mucosa

2022-ongoing
Genome Research Limited (Sanger), UK
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

GPS2

Global Pneumococcal Sequence Surveillance 2.0

2022-ongoing
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Switzerland
Senjuti Saha (PI)

Genomic Surveillance capacity

Building Capacity for Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens in resource-constrained settings

2022-ongoing
International Vaccine Institute (IVI), South Korea
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI),

RIB

RSV infections in Bangladesh (RIB)

Completed Projects

2021-2022
St George’s, University of London (SGUL)
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

Efficacy and safety of chlorhexidine cleansing in reducing bacterial skin colonisation of hospitalised low birthweight neonates: A pilot trial

This is a pilot study to work out the best way to apply an antiseptic called chlorhexidine to the skin of low birth-weight newborn babies who are admitted to the Dhaka Shishu hospital.

2019-2022
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (Co-PI), Senjuti Saha (Co-PI)

Metagenomics to identify Microbes that govern Typhi survival

In this project, we used techniques and tools from metagenomics to identify the microbes that affect the survival of typhi.

2018-2022
University of Edinburgh, UK
Samir Saha (Co-PI)

RESPIRE

NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health

2008-2012
Johns Hopkins University (USAID)
Abdullah Baqui (PI), Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Safety and Efficacy of Simplified Antibiotic Regimens for Outpatient Treatment of Suspected Sepsis in Neonates and Young Infants in Bangladesh.

Three simplified antibiotic regimes were tested for the treatment of neonatal sepsis, without danger signs. The regimes were compared with the standard group, 14 injections of penicillin and gentamicin in 7 days. Baqui et al 2015, Lancet Global Health.

2011-2015
Johns Hopkins University (NIH)
Anne CC Lee (PI), Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Maternal Genitourinary Tract Infection and Adverse Prenatal Outcomes

Aimed to elucidate the etiology of genitourinary infections in women of rural Bangladesh.

2012-2015
Fondation Mérieux, France
Samir Saha (PI, Bangladesh)

Typhoid Diagnostics for Measuring Disease Burden

This project aimed to validate a Real-­‐Time PCR assay for the detection of S. Typhi, S. paratyphi A and S. spp, developed by Fondation Mérieux, in collaboration with Institut Pasteur, Child Health Research Foundation of Bangladesh and Fast Track Diagnostics. Multi country project, overall PI: Hubert Endtz

2012-2016
University of Washington
Samir Saha (PI, Bangladesh)

Vaccination and the Paediatric Microbiome

The study has been designed to analyze the microbiome of respiratory specimens collected from <2 population and understand the impact of PCV introduction. Multi country project, overall PI: George Weinstock

2014-2016
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (GAVI)
Samir Saha (PI)

Evaluation of 10-­Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-­10) Impact on Carriage In Bangladeshi Children

This study was done in the rural population of Mirzapur in Bangladesh. The impact of PCV was measured in different age groups to understand the direct and indirect effects.

2015-2017
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (PI, Bangladesh), Shabir Madhi (Overall PI)

Group B Streptococcus Colonization

Group B Streptococcus colonization in mother-­newborn dyads and association with anti-­capsular serotype-­specific antibodies in low and middle-income countries in South Asia and Africa. This study aimed to find GBS carriage among pregnant women, and transmission from mothers to babies. It was a multi-country project.

2015-2018
Cardiff University
Samir Saha (PI, Bangladesh), Timothy Walsh (Overall PI)

Burden of Antibiotic Resistance in Neonates from Developing Societies (BARNARDS)

Aimed to collect paired organisms from the blood of babies with sepsis and rectal swabs of mothers. These paired strains were analyzed for non-susceptibility to antibiotics. These isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing to understand the mechanism of resistance and the genetic relationship between the paired isolates. It was a multi-country project.

2009-2018
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF Grant)
Samir Saha (PI)

Aetiology of Neonatal Infections in South Asia (ANISA)

This study aimed to find etiology of neonatal infections at 6 population-­‐based sites in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan (Total Population 2,000,000; Eligible women 400,000 and 68,000 newborns). Blood and respiratory specimens were collected from possible serious bacterial infection cases and tested for multiple bacterial and viral etiologies.

2016-2018
Save the Children (WHO)
Nawshad Uddin Ahmed (PI), Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Enhanced Management of Pneumonia in Community

This study aimed to rigorously assess the benefits of an enhanced approach to community case management for pneumonia. This contributed to the evidence base for the revision of the WHO/UNICEF integrated community case management (iCCM) tool and its harmonization with the integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) tool.

2013-2018
St George’s, University of London
Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Pneumococcal Vaccine Impact Assessment in Bangladesh (Sylhet)

Aimed to see the impact of PCV-­10 vaccine on IPD (In-patient Department) cases in a rural population-based site in Sylhet

2016-2018
Sanofi Pasteur
Samir Saha (LPI)

Estimate prevalence of pneumococcal carriage and serotype distribution among newborn and children

The study generated comprehensive carriage data among newborns and children through longitudinal cohort analysis.

2014-2018
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (PI)

Evaluation of 10-­Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV-­10) Impact on Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases in Bangladesh (Sentinel Sites)

To see the impact of PCV-­10 on meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis by using “before-­after” and case-­‐control studies using “indirect cohort”. This study will be done in a network of 4 sentinel sites, using the baseline data from 2007 to 2014.

2016-2019
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (PI, Bangladesh)

Microbiology & QA support for NP carriage studies in India at KEM Hospital, Pune and KGMU, Lucknow.

This project was to support Microbiology & Quality assurance (QA) of Nasopharyngeal Carriage studies in India at the KEM Hospital in Pune and King George's Medical University in Lucknow.

2014-2019
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK plc)
Samir Saha (PI)

Impact of PCV-­10 on IPD in Rural Bangladesh

The purpose of the project was to see the impact of PCV-­10 on meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis by using “before-­after” and case-­control studies using an “indirect cohort”. This study was conducted in a rural population-­based site in Mirzapur, using the baseline data from 2005 to 2008.

2016-2019
Pfizer
Samir Saha (PI)

Impact of PCV on Otitis media in Bangladesh

The study enrolled otitis media cases to elucidate the effectiveness and impact of PCV-­10 using the before (pre-­vaccine) and after (post-­vaccine) design. This outpatient-based project gave additional attention to the impact of PCV-­10 on Serotype (the most common serotype causing invasive pneumococcal infections in children) and NTHi (Nontypeable Haemophilus influenza).

2018-2020
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (PI)

Elucidating the Causative Agents of Meningitis with Unknown Etiology using Metagenomics

This study worked to explore the aetiology among the cerebrospinal fluids where no aetiology could not be detected using the available technologies like culture, serology, PCR, or rtPCR.

2018-2020
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (PI)

Impact of Rota viral diarrhea on the health system of Bangladesh

This study examined the burden of rotaviral diarrhea in hospitalized children of ≤5 years of age, as well as the incidence of rotaviral diarrhea in urban Bangladesh. It helped to improve the outcome of cases that were refused hospitalization due to the unavailability of beds.

2020-2022
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Senjuti Saha (PI), Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Child Health Research Foundation Infectious Disease Observatory

To set up a mid-throughout sequencing facility (NextSeq2000) in Bangladesh for whole genome sequencing of bacterial and viral pathogens, and metagenomic sequencing of biological samples.

2020-2022
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (PI)

Enhancing capacity of COVID-19 diagnostics in Bangladesh

To enhance COVID diagnostic in Bangladesh for pediatric and adult population, generate strong epidemiological data, determine rates of infections in health care providers, establish a genome sequencing platform for SARS-CoV-2, and establish a cohort of COVID-19 cases for long-term longitudinal follow-up.

2018-2021
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Samir Saha (PI)

Impact of Pneumonia and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infections on the Health System of Bangladesh

This project generated evidence about both the direct and indirect effects of high-burden diseases like RSV infections and guided informed policy decisions based on the impact of diseases on the overall health system. Generated data can also be used for comprehensive analysis of the impact of PCV10 on all pneumonia cases, whether admitted to the hospital or refused hospitalization.

2018-2021
Edinburgh University (NIHR Fund)
Samir Saha (PI, Bangladesh)

RESPIRE

To reduce the impact of and the number of deaths caused by respiratory diseases in South Asia (RESPIRE) Multi country project, overall PI: Prof. Aziz Sheikh (PI)

2017-2021
International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
Samir Saha (PI)

TuNDRA

Real-time Tracking of Neglected Bacterial Diseases and Resistance Patterns in Asia (TunDRA)

2018-2022
The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
Senjuti Saha (PI), Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Synbiotics for the Early Prevention of Severe Infections in Infants (SEPSIS) trial

CHRF was the key partner in laboratory-related activities that pertained to the SEPSIS Study's primary endpoint. Specifically, CHRF was engaged in blood specimen collection, laboratory analyses, data interpretation, reporting of lab-based findings, and collaboration with the main site for the dissemination of study findings.

2020-2021
George Mason University, USA
Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Campylobacter emergence and transmission in rural Bangladesh

Through this project, we studied the emergence of Campylobacter bacteria in rural regions of Bangladesh and how they are transmitted.

2020-2021
ImmuneMed Inc (Right Fund)
Samir Saha (Co-PI)

Rapid Diagnostic Test

Develop Immunochromatographic based rapid diagnostic test for the both Typhoid fever and Paratyphoid fever

2020-2022
St George’s, University of London
Samir Saha (Co-PI)

NeoCHG

Efficacy and safety of chlorhexidine cleansing in reducing bacterial skin colonization of hospitalized low birthweight neonates: A pilot trial (NeoCHG)