Shah M. Faruque

Shah Mohammad Faruque
Born 1956 (age 61–62)
Jessore District, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Alma mater University of Dhaka
University of Reading

Shah Mohammad Faruque (born c. 1956) is a Professor of Microbiology and Biotechnology at BRAC University, and a renown scientist. He is widely recognized for his research in Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium which causes the epidemic diarrhoeal disease Cholera. Previously he was the director of the Genomics Centre at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), and formerly director of the Centre for Food and Water Borne Diseases in ICDDR,B. His areas of interest include microbial genomics, bacteriophages, environmental microbiology, ecology, and evolution of bacterial pathogens, particularly those associated with waterborne and foodborne diseases. Prof Faruque is well known for his work on molecular genetics, epidemiology and ecology of the cholera pathogen, and its bacteriophages.[1]

Prof Shah Faruque is a Fellow of TWAS, the World Academy of Sciences, as well as a Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences. He is a member of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, ISID, and a founding member of the Association of Vibrio Biologists, AViB.

Early life and education

Shah Mohammad Faruque was born in Jessore District, Bangladesh in 1956. He received his early education in Jessore Sacred Heart School, Jessore Zilla School, Jhenidah Cadet College, and Jessore Government M.M. College. Faruque received his BSc, and MSc degrees from the department of Biochemistry, Dhaka University in 1978 and 1979 respectively. He obtained his PhD in 1988 from the University of Reading, in the UK. In Reading, he worked on hormonal regulation of gene expression. He was a Commonwealth Scholar in the UK.

Career

Prof Faruque joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Dhaka and taught biochemistry and molecular biology courses. He later joined ICDDR,B as a scientist, and pioneered molecular biology research in Bangladesh. In ICDDR,B, he set up the Molecular Genetics Laboratory, which is currently highly reputed for conducting and publishing outstanding research work. In recognition of his contributions to the understanding of natural phenomena associated with the dynamics of cholera epidemics, he was awarded the "TWAS Prize-2005" in Medical Sciences, by the TWAS. Faruque collaborates with scientists from different countries and Institutes in India, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, UK, and the US. He also established the Genomics Centre in icddr,b with financial support by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Prof Shah Faruque maintained an active research team in icddr,b for over two decades, and has now moved to BRAC University to strengthen life science research in one of the nation’s premier private universities.

Addressing the health problems of developing countries, Faruque has contributed significantly to the understanding of natural mechanisms associated with the emergence of bacterial pathogens. Although he has conducted significant work in understanding the epidemiology and transmission of Shigella and diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli infections, his major contribution is in the epidemiology and genetics of Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera epidemics. In collaboration with John Mekalanos, Adele H. Lehman Professor of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Prof Faruque has contributed extensively to the recent understanding of the epidemiology, transmissibility and ecology of Vibrio cholerae. Their work showed the genetic basis for the origin and evolution of new Vibrio cholerae strains with epidemic potential and the role of bacteriophages in this process. They characterised several novel filamentous phages (e.g., KSF-1, RS1 and TLC satellite phages) of Vibrio cholerae, and contributed substantially to understanding the molecular mechanisms for transmission of these phages, and their role in Vibrio cholerae evolution. Prof Faruque has proposed models to explain the role of environmental and host factors and lytic bacteriophages in the ecology of Vibrio cholerae, that supports a self-limiting nature of seasonal cholera epidemics. Currently his team is conducting cutting edge research in CRISPR-Cas systems carried by bacterial viruses or bacteriophages.It is vital to generate more knowledge on the underlying diversity and functions of this system to fully realize the potential of technologies like CRISPR gene editing.

Awards

Prof Shah Faruque was awarded the TWAS Prize in Medical Sciences in 2005.[2]

Personal life

Shah M. Faruque is married to Hasna Hena. They have two children - Elora Faruque and Shah Nayeem Faruque.

Publications

Faruque has authored more than 140 original research papers, reviews, and book chapters. His work have been published in top ranking international scientific journals, including Nature,[3] PNAS, Lancet and ASM Journals. He has also edited a number of books which include Vibrio cholerae: Genomics and Molecular Biology (2008),[4] and Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens (2012).[5]

References

  1. ↑ Thomas Häusler Viruses Vs. Superbugs: A Solution to the Antibiotics Crisis? 2007 Page 89
  2. ↑ "Dr Shah M Faruque rewarded" (PDF). Glimpse. ICDDR,B. 28 (2–3): 7. June–September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2012.
  3. ↑ Hassan, Faizule; Kamruzzaman, M.; Mekalanos, John J.; Faruque, Shah M. (21 October 2010). "Satellite phage TLCφ enables toxigenic conversion by CTX phage through dif site alteration". Nature. 467 (7318): 982–985. doi:10.1038/nature09469. PMC 2967718. PMID 20944629.
  4. ↑ "Dr. Shah M. Faruque". Bangladesh Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens: Epidemiology, Evolution and Molecular Biology". Caister Academic Press. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  1. Shah M. Faruque on icddrb.org
  2. interview on cholera in Bengali on voanews.com
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