A Vaccine, A Decade, A Legacy

2025 marks 10 years since Bangladesh introduced the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10), a public health milestone we have been proud to track every step of the way. But our pneumococcal journey did not begin in 2015—it began way back in the 1990s, when Professor Samir K Saha first started monitoring pneumococcal diseases in Bangladeshi children.

But this year, 2025, is going to be the biggest yet. We just published findings on the impact of PCV10 on otitis media—first evidence from South Asia—showing clear reductions in disease burden. Our study from rural Bangladesh on invasive disease also highlighted a decline after PCV10 introduction. And we have now stepped fully into the era of pathogen genomics—our first genomic analysis on serotype 19A is live on veriXiv, with more stories on the way. Coming up: data from urban Bangladesh, 20 years of pneumococcal genomics, deep dives into serotypes 1 and 2, and, most excitingly, a single-cell study examining immune responses to PCV10 in preterm and term infants. It’s going to be a finding pneumo year.

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Tracking pneumo over 4 decades...

Still in the mood to read after diving into 38 pneumococcal papers we've published over the last 40 years? Don’t miss this quarter’s latest on typhoid diagnostics, phages, vaccines, and more!

Global pneumococcal Sequencing project Spotlight: Sharing Bangladesh’s Pneumococcal Story

From Dhaka to the World

This quarter, CHRF scientists have carried our work across continents, connecting with global researchers and sharing Bangladesh’s stories of science and innovation. Dr. Senjuti Saha traveled to Cambridge and Bangkok for the 2050 Genomics workshop series, gave a talk in Heidelberg on viruses that cause meningitis, and shared our RSV and single-cell genomics work with Sarah Teichmann’s group at Cambridge University. Dr. Yogesh Hooda represented CHRF in Paris at the AI Summit, joining international conversations on the future of data and health.

Meanwhile, CHRF’s Jaasia Momtahena Hafsa and Md. Akibul Hassan Sazal completed a five-week, hands-on fellowship at the Peter Doherty Institute in Melbourne through the prestigious Australia Awards Fellowship. Alongside fellows from across the Asia-Pacific, they trained in Illumina and ONT sequencing, genomic epidemiology, and more, gaining skills that will fuel our research and inspire future scientists in Bangladesh.

A Shoutout Worth Celebrating

Dr. Saiful Islam Sajib has been awarded a CAMO-Net Fellowship! His project will focus on understanding how Klebsiella spreads, adding critical insight into AMR transmission dynamics. We can’t wait to see where his research takes him.

Building Scientists, One Program at a Time

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Our first training of the year was a hands-on Python workshop for CHRF team members, funded by NIHR. For many, it was their first dive into programming—opening doors to data-driven science and building confidence in using computational tools.

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Our upcoming course in May, supported by the RESPIRE grant from University of Edinburgh, will focus on the epidemiology of respiratory diseases. From understanding surveillance to analysis to response, participants will explore how to translate data into action. With respiratory infections continuing to be a leading cause of illness, this course couldn’t be more timely. We’ve just announced a brand-new BSB training module focused on Sanger sequencing.

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This course will introduce the theory and hands-on application of this essential molecular technique, addressing a critical gap in training in Bangladesh. As always, the goal is to ensure more scientists have the tools they need to ask, and answer, the right questions.

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Welcoming Prottoy back as a Summer Intern!

We're thrilled to welcome back our very first BSB Fellow, Prottoy, to CHRF — this time as a summer intern through Brown University's Student-Generated SPRINT Fellowship program! Backed by the prestigious LINK Award, he’ll explore research in viruses. Exciting things ahead!

And BSB fellowship applications are open!

We are thrilled to share that applications are now open for the next BSB Fellowship cohort. This is our call to students across Bangladesh who are ready to dive into science communication, explore lives with scientists, and be part of something bigger. If you know someone who’s ready to build their path in science—send them our way! And if you’ve got a love for science and a knack for storytelling—and you’ll finish A-Levels/HSC by June 2025—this is your chance. Send an application now!

Where Art Meets Science

Our highschool trainees keep on reminding us that science isn’t just about data, it’s about imagination. This quarter, we are delighted to showcase scrapbook artwork by our lovely trainees who interpreted health, microbes, and discovery through their own creative lenses.

In Closing

The first quarter of 2025 has shown us just how much can happen when curiosity meets commitment. From vaccines and pathogen genomics to global conversations and growing a new generation of scientists—we’re building something powerful, together. ​ To our partners, donors, mentors, and brilliant young minds: thank you for fueling the momentum. Your belief in our mission keeps us pushing boundaries and dreaming bigger. ​ Here’s to the breakthroughs ahead, the stories yet to be told, and the science that never sleeps. ​ At CHRF, the best is yet to come. Onward, with purpose and passion, The CHRF SciComm Team

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