Prof. Samir K. Saha is the Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology at the Bangladesh Shishu (Children) Hospital and Institute in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Child Health Research Foundation. Prof. Saha was the first scientist from a developing country to receive the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) award in 2017, for his outstanding research in Clinical Microbiology. This was followed by a fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology. In the same year, he received the UNESCO Carlos J. Finlay Prize in Microbiology for his contribution to the field of microbiology and for helping the government of Bangladesh to make evidence-based decisions on the introduction of Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The November 2017 edition of National Geographic Magazine published "Here’s Why Vaccines Are So Crucial", an article revolving around the need and impact of vaccines in society which vividly highlighted the lifelong dedication of Prof. Saha's fight to beating pneumonia and other pneumococcal infections in Bangladesh. In the Fall of 2019, Prof. Saha and his team's publication in The Lancet received The Charles C. Shepard Science Award in the assessment category for their outstanding contribution to public health. In 2020, Dr. Saha and his daughter Dr. Senjuti Saha were recognized as Bill Gates’s Hero for their work to reduce child mortality in Bangladesh and bring global health equity. In the same year (11th May), under the supervision of Prof. Saha and the direction of Dr. Senjuti, the first SARS-CoV-2 genome was sequenced in Bangladesh. For his lifelong commitment and devotion to the field of science& public health, Prof. Saha received the prestigious Ekushey Padak (second highest civilian award in Bangladesh) from the honorable Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in 2021. Prof. Saha is currently a member of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NiTAG) of the Government of Bangladesh. He is also the member of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for (i) invasive bacterial vaccine-preventable diseases and (ii) Respiratory Syncytial Virus. In November 2019, Prof. Saha received membership (FRC Path) from the Royal College of Pathologists, United Kingdom. He has published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals, mostly relating to childhood typhoid, pneumonia and meningitis. Prof. Saha is conducting several multi-site and multi-country research projects supported by different international funding organizations.
Received Ekushey Padak (second highest civilian award of Bangladesh) in research from the honorable Prime Minister of People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Member, National Immunization Technical Advisory (NiTAG), Bangladesh.
Received fellowship from the Royal college of Pathologist (FRCPath), United Kingdom.
The Charles C. Shepard Science Award in the assessment category
Board member, International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD)
Member, Scientific Advisory Group member, Vaccines against group B streptococcal (GBS) disease project, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva.
Member, Technical Advisory Group of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Vaccine, Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, WHO, Geneva.
Member, Scientific Advisory Group member, Vaccines against group B streptococcal (GBS) disease project, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva.
UNESCO Carlos Finlay Prize for research in Microbiology.
American Society of Microbiology (ASM) award for research in Clinical Microbiology.
Elected as fellow of American Academy of Microbiology (AAM).
Chair, Steering Committee of Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), Sabin Vaccine Institute,
Member, Laboratory Technical Working Group, IB-VPD Surveillance, WHO, Geneva.
Member, Technical advisory group member, Vaccine Preventable ‐ Invasive Bacterial Disease (IB-VPD) Surveillance, WHO, Geneva.
Member, International Scientific Committee of International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID).
Member, Technical Advisory Board of Immunization, Bangladesh.
Member, National Committee for Immunization Practice, Bangladesh.
Member, Global Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE).
Associate, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA