Dr. Mridha received his MBBS in Medicine and Surgery from Chittagong University, Bangladesh, in 1997, MSc in Nutrition from Dhaka University, Bangladesh in 2001, MSc in Health Economics from Dhaka University, Bangladesh in 2002, and MPH in Reproductive Health from State University, Bangladesh in 2007. He received his PhD from the University of California, Davis in Nutritional Biology with a Designated Emphasis in International and Community Nutrition, in 2014. Before joining BRAC University, he worked for organizations such as Chittagong Medical School, Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition, Bangladesh Diabetic Association, HIV/AIDS and STD Alliance, , Concern Wordwide, ICDDR,B., University of California. He worked as a program manager, technical expert, researcher and/or teacher for these organizations. He was one of the founding members of the Center of Excellence for Non-communicable Diseases Prevention and Control hosted by ICDDR,B. His research areas included maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, health system, HIV/AIDS and STI and non-communicable diseases.
Dr. Mridha’s research interests include nutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCD), burden of NCD and risk factors, prevention and management of NCD, mainstreaming nutrition and NCD interventions through health system, the link between nutrition, infection and NCD, prevention of early risk factors of NCD including fetal programming, prevention of epigenetic changes associated with NCD and maternal and child nutrition.
Some of the projects he is currently involved in are: The efficacy of zinc-biofortified rice in improving zinc status in young Bangladesh children; Analytical Task in Support of Capacity Development in Nutrition Surveillance and Research in Bangladesh; Assessing impact of nutritional supplementation during the first 1000 days: evaluation of non-communicable disease specific epigenetic changes
Dr. Mridha has been involved in NGHRU project since its conception. His role has been crucial in mobilizing partners for the Bangladesh Center of Excellence. He also contributed to the design of the project and is contributing to the development of the project implementation plans. He also directs the coordination and activities assigned for the Bangladesh Center of Excellence.
BRAC University, Bangladesh
BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health was founded in 2004 in Dhaka, Bangladesh to address the unmet public health challenges particular to Asia, Africa and South America. The School is at BRAC University, a premier higher education and development research institution. The School applies an interdisciplinary integration of Education, Training, Research and Advocacy to diverse health challenges such as, Maternal & Reproductive Health, Nutrition, Gender Equity, Sanitation, Non-communicable Diseases, Urbanisation and Climate Change, and also focuses on implementation research.
