Senjuti Saha, PhD

Dr. Senjuti Saha is the Deputy Executive Director at the Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF), Bangladesh, where she leads transformative research on preventable infectious diseases. She holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto, Canada and completed postdoctoral training at the Hospital for Sick Children and Stanford University, USA. In 2016, Dr. Saha returned to Bangladesh to work on the frontlines of public health and establish a state-of-the-art genomics center. Her groundbreaking work has advanced genomic epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research, with notable contributions to understanding resistance patterns in typhoid, paratyphoid, and Klebsiella infections. She was the first to identify the presence of chikungunya virus in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with meningitis and led the sequencing of Bangladesh’s first SARS-CoV-2 genome. Currently, Dr. Saha directs multiple comprehensive studies, including projects on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, Single-Cell Genomics, and Genomics for tackling AMR. Her research not only addresses the needs of low-resource settings but also informs global health strategies. Dr. Saha serves on several high-profile global advisory committees, including the WHO Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee, the WHO SARS-CoV-2 Technical Advisory Group on Viral Evolution, the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Salmonella Vaccines and the Polio Transition Independent Monitoring Board. She has over 70 peer-reviewed publications and serves on the editorial boards of several international journals. Her achievements have earned her widespread recognition: she was named one of the 100 “best and brightest” scientists of Asia by Asian Scientist in 2023 and highlighted by The Lancet as one of the top 10 researchers globally in 2022. Dr. Saha is also a recipient of a Webby Award for “Infectious Disease Detectives” in collaboration with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2020. Dr. Saha's contributions extend beyond research. She leads the national initiative “Building Scientists for Bangladesh,” which fosters equitable access to science education and opportunities. Her vision is rooted in advancing health and research equity, ensuring that scientific knowledge and its benefits are accessible to all. She embodies the principle of “science by and for the many, not the few.”

2023

Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Padak. Bangladesh’s highest civilian award for women

2023

Amra Ekattor Award

2023

Recognition as one of the 100 “best and brightest” scientists of Asia. Asian Scientist

2022

Ananya Top 10, Bangladesh

2022

Luna Shamsuddoha Awar. Celebrating Women @Work, Bangladesh

2022

Joyee Award. Best female researcher category, Bangladesh

2022

SOS Children’s Villages Bangladesh Community Champion Award

2022

Highlighted by The Lancet as one of the top 10 researchers worldwide

2021

Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh

2021

Women of Inspiration Award, Junior Chamber International, Bangladesh

2020

Gates’ Hero, 2020, for battling health inequity, Gates Notes

2020

Webby Award for Infectious Disease Detectives (with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative). Honoring the best of the internet. People’s choice award.

2019

Bill and Melinda Gates Goalkeeper of Sustainable Development Goals

2019

Sabin Vaccine Institute Travel Award, 11th International Conference on Typhoid and Other Invasive Salmonelloses.

2018

Bill and Melinda Gates Fellowship for Scientists from Low- and Middle-Income Countries, International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference

2018

Bill and Melinda Gates Fellowship for Scientists from Low- and Middle-Income Countries, American Society of Microbiology MICROBE

2018

Bill and Melinda Gates Fellowship, International Symposium on Pneumococci & Pneumococcal Disease

2017

Travel Fellowship, 10th World Congress of the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases

2017

Postdoctoral Travel Award, American Society of Microbiology, MICROBE

2017

Sabin Vaccine Institute Travel Grant, International Conference on Typhoid and Other Invasive Salmonelloses

2016

First Runner up, University of Toronto Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

2012-2015

Canada Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Award (CAD$ 35,000/year)

2012-2015

Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Canada (CAD$ 30,000/year)

2010-2012

University of Toronto Open Fellowship Research Award, University of Toronto, Canada (CAD$ 11,000/year)

2007-2009

Dean’s List in recognition of academic excellence (3 consecutive years), University of Toronto, Canada

2005

Scholar Award. University of Toronto, Canada. (CAD$ 5,000)

2005

New College Admission Scholarship. University of Toronto, Canada. (CAD$ 3,000)

Selected Documentaries & Media Mentions

  • Finding etiologies of meningitis and working in resource-poor settings. Live online interview. Sachalayatan. 2018.
  • Closing the scientific gap. Global Health Now, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 2018.
  • How a cloud-based database can help diagnose illnesses. The Daily Star. 2018.
  • A simpler way to get to the bottom of mysterious illnesses in poor countries. The Atlantic, 2018.
  • How five STEM women shattered the glass ceiling. The Daily Star. 2019.
  • Bangladeshi scientist to address Gates Goalkeepers Event in New York. The Daily Star. 2019.
  • Developing Low-Cost Medical Devices in Bangladesh. Forbes. 2019.
  • On the trail of deadly disease. Wired. 2019.
  • Infectious Disease Detectives. Documentary by Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative. 2019.
  • Vaccination to prevent child mortality. Like television interview. Somoy TV. 2020.
  • When two scientists fall in love. The Scientist. 2020.
  • Sheroes of typhoid: Women leaders across take on typhoid. Coalition against typhoid. 2020.
  • Senjuti’s journey to becoming a scientist. Special Interview. SaraBangla. 2020.
  • New frontiers in research: vaccination, genome sequencing and data-driven health surveillance. Youth Policy Forum and Platform. Live panel. 2020.
  • Bangladeshi researchers decode the COVID-19 genome for the first time. The Business Standard. 2020.
  • Remarkable work by Bangladeshi scientists. The Daily Star. 2020
  • Bangladeshi Scientists sequence coronavirus genome, New Age Bangladesh. 2020.
  • The achievements of the Saha Family. Talk-show. Deepto TV. 2020.
  • Bill Gates hails ‘dynamic’ Bangladeshi father-daughter duo. Samakal. 2020.
  • Bill Gates showers praise on Bangladeshi microbiologists Samir, Senjuti Saha. Prothom Alo. 2020.
  • SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing and research perspective in Bangladesh. Live interview. Voice of America, Bangla. 2020.
  • Bangladesh’s dynamic duo battle global health inequity. Gates Horoes: Samir Saha and Senjuti Saha. Gates Notes. 2020.
  • India’s neighbours race to sequence genomes as COVID surges. Nature News. 2021.
  • Scientists tracking coronavirus variants struggle with global blind spots. Science Magazine. 2021