Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF)

We are the Child Health Research Foundation. Guided by our commitment to prevent infections and save lives, we move forward every day with hope and purpose. Our work is for #Bangladesh, in #Bangladesh, and with #Bangladesh — rooted in the belief that together, we can build a healthier future.

ESCMID Global 2026, one of the world’s leading events in the field of infection, begins on 18 April in Munich, Germany. On 19 April, Dr. Senjuti Saha will deliver a keynote, exploring how fostering local scientific capacity, alongside integrated and sustainable approaches, can strengthen global health security, enhance preparedness for emerging infectious diseases, and promote equitable access to tools and knowledge. Organised by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), ESCMID Global is a five-day event that will bring together global experts to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and drive innovation in the field. To learn more, visit: escmid.org/congress-event…

Last week was an extra special one at CHRF as we welcomed our collaborators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)! Bringing together data, technology and the communities we serve, it was a step forward in our ongoing efforts to build local capacity. The @shaleklab team, led by Prof. Alex Shalek, included Tammy Lan, James Pan, Tyler Dao, and Jeff Gahan. This collaboration brought together cutting-edge single-cell genomics technology and deeply rooted field data, helping advance our single-cell genomics work to better understand the impact of the pneumococcal vaccine. The week was filled with conversations, curiosity, and connection. Our visitors explored CHRF’s laboratories in Dhaka and Mirzapur, exchanged knowledge through presentations, and conducted interactive training sessions for CHRF's single-cell genomics team. Prof. Shalek also gave a talk, hosted by the "Building Scientists for Bangladesh" initiative, where he shared his insights from his research journey in single-cell genomics, including his work during COVID-19. The Q&A that followed was filled with thoughtful questions from the CHRF members and BSB alumni who joined. The visit to our surveillance sites in Mirzapur was a highlight of the week. As the team witnessed firsthand how samples are collected, especially in low-resource settings, they were able to connect more clearly with the actual communities behind the data. Through this visit, we came away not only with new knowledge from their sessions, but also with insights from how they approach science and life. As the visit comes to an end, we look forward to learning from one another, growing together, and strengthening a collaboration that bridges science across borders.

The future of science is in collaborative capacity building, whether it is generating local genomic data where it matters most or creating systems that encourage scientists to invest in mentorship. Dr. Senjuti Saha, Deputy Executive Director of CHRF, shares her insights on the importance of such efforts and much more in her latest interview with the European Medical Journal (EMJ). EMJ is a peer reviewed, open access publishing platform that is committed to advancing learning, knowledge, and research in clinical medicine and pharmaceuticals. Read the full interview: emjreviews.com/microbiology-i…

CHRF offers Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) services for researchers, providing high-quality sequencing data. We ensure accuracy, reliability and timely delivery of results to advance your research. Submit samples by 16th April 2026 to receive results by 30th April 2026. For further information, contact us at +8801880-156641 or email servicehub@chrfbd.org.

Dr. Senjuti Saha has been announced as the 2026 Sabin Rising Star Awardee! She is the first South Asian to receive this honour - what a proud moment for Bangladesh and the Child Health Research Foundation! Awarded by the @sabinvaccine , the Rising Star Award honors individuals under the age of 40 years who have demonstrated a commitment to the field of vaccines and immunizations. It is an effort to highlight the extraordinary work and global health contributions of people around the world regardless gender, location, or field of work. For Dr. Saha, this award reflects years of work in child health, her efforts on the introduction of the typhoid conjugate vaccine in Bangladesh and capacity building. This award is rooted in dreams that began in childhood dinner tables and ideas that were shaped by mentors, colleagues, collaborators and the communities who inspired and supported her journey.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Senjuti Saha’s 2026 Sabin Rising Award, read the full story in our press release: chrfbd.org/blogs/0deb2c6c…

প্রথম বাংলাদেশি এবং দক্ষিণ এশীয় হিসেবে সাবিন ভ্যাকসিন ইনস্টিটিউটের ‘রাইজিং স্টার’ (Rising Star) পুরস্কারে ভূষিত হয়েছেন ডঃ সেঁজুতি সাহা। এই অনন্য অর্জন চাইল্ড হেলথ রিসার্চ ফাউন্ডেশন (CHRF) এবং সমগ্র বাংলাদেশের জন্য এক অত্যন্ত গর্বের মুহূর্ত! ডঃ সাহার এই অর্জন এবং পুরস্কারটি সম্পর্কে বিস্তারিত জানতে আমাদের প্রেস রিলিজটি পড়ুন - chrfbd.org/blogs/120a9ca0…

Congratulations to Dr. Senjuti Saha for being announced as the 2026 Sabin Rising Star Awardee! The award is a testament to her years of dedication in advancing vaccine efforts in Bangladesh, advocating for evidence-based public health policies and building local capacity. We would also like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Uğur Şahin, MD, and Professor Özlem Türeci, MD, who are being honoured with the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal this year!

AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) is a classification system developed by the World Health Organization to promote safer, more responsible antibiotic use and help combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR makes common infections harder to treat, often driven by the misuse of antibiotics. The AWaRe classification groups antibiotics based on how they should be used and their risk of resistance to help healthcare providers in making better treatment choices. With many of these antibiotics already accessible in Bangladesh, awareness is more important than ever. When we understand what we use and why, we help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics today and protect our future generations!

This International Women’s Day, we wanted to celebrate in a way that reflects something we believe in: investing in the next generation. For almost two decades, our community health workers at Mirzapur have spent their days walking through neighborhoods, knocking on doors, speaking with families, and helping ensure that children in their communities receive the care they need. Their dedication and hardwork has shaped the health and wellbeing of countless families. Yesterday, we honor that dedication by standing beside their own children. With support from the generous individuals who contribute through community campaigns and donations, CHRF is awarding one-year scholarships to five young girls, the daughters of these community health workers. These bright young girls, studying in grades IV through IX, carry with them big dreams and even bigger potential. Here’s to the women who uplift communities, the girls who dream, and the brighter futures we can build together. #IWD2026 #Givetogain #CHRF

On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and brilliance of women around the world—women who lead, innovate, care, and uplift their communities every day. At CHRF, we celebrate the incredible women who make our work possible—from dedicated community health workers to the brilliant scientists in our laboratories, and the inspiring trainees growing into the next generation of researchers. Each of them plays a vital role in shaping a healthier future. We are incredibly proud of the remarkable women on our team, whose dedication and hard work allow us to continue advancing research, preventing infections, and saving lives. Today, we celebrate women from Bangladesh and around the world and reaffirm our commitment to building a future where they have access to the equal opportunities they deserve, so they can continue to lead, discover, innovate, and contribute to society. Happy International Women’s Day! #IWD2026

We are thrilled to share that CHRF has been awarded a Wellcome Discovery Award to study severe RSV pneumonia in children. Building on an ongoing collaboration between scientists in Bangladesh and Boston, this project will explore why RSV becomes life threatening in some children, using single cell genomics, mucosal immunology, and respiratory biology. The study is led by Dr. Senjuti Saha (CHRF), with co investigators Dr. Yogesh Hooda (CHRF), Dr. Jose Ordovas Montanes, and Dr. Bruce Horwitz (Boston Children’s Hospital, USA). As the first Wellcome Discovery Award led from South Asia, this is more than a grant for CHRF and for Bangladesh. It reflects years of work building the science, the teams, and the trust needed to lead cutting edge research from the places most affected by disease. We are grateful to our investigators, trainees, laboratory teams, field staff, collaborators, and the families who make this work possible. Read more in our press release: chrfbd.org/blogs/2c839d30…

Klebsiella pneumoniae is responsible for 20% of the neonatal sepsis cases, with the greatest burden in Africa and South Asia. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition causing deaths of more than 600,000 newborns annually. The picture is not entirely bleak though, as data shows thousands of neonatal deaths could be prevented each year with appropriate preventions for K. pneumoniae. A recent study analysed genomic data from 35 sites across 13 countries in South Asia and Africa, making it one of the largest neonatal K. pneumoniae datasets till now. CHRF is proud to have contributed 289 genomic sequences from Bangladesh through our long-term surveillance work, helping ensure that Bangladesh is meaningfully represented in the findings. By combining local neonatal sepsis data with region-specific analysis, the study gives a rare, regionally representative picture of K. pneumoniae. The results show clear, recurring patterns across countries, highlighting shared risks and common strains linked to severe disease. This study shows the importance of multi-regional efforts and locally generated data in guiding health policies and preventions like vaccines. Learn more about these findings in PLOS Medicine: journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/a…

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we recognize the vital role women play across STEM, from biologists and doctors, to engineers and mathematicians, turning knowledge into impact every day. Today, we celebrate the curiosity, resilience, and brilliance of women shaping the future through science. At CHRF, we are proud to be powered by women scientists who lead research, drive innovation, and work tirelessly to improve child health in Bangladesh. Through our Building Scientists for Bangladesh initiative, we also actively encourage young people, especially girls, to explore STEM, nurture their curiosity, and imagine themselves as future scientists and changemakers. With women making up 66% of our trainees, the numbers clearly reflect their eagerness to participate, learn, and grow in STEM. Now is the time to move forward and build a future that truly supports, uplifts, and empowers women in STEM, because innovation thrives only when everyone has a seat at the table!

With the intention to understand and ensure successful adoption of tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic tools, the “Critical Pathway for New TB Diagnostics” project was initiated. Nine countries, where TB is a cause for concern, came together to map a streamlined pathway outlining the key steps from approval to the nationwide rollout of new TB tests. Each country designed a nationally relevant pathway for itself. CHRF, in collaboration with McGill University, led the pathway development for Bangladesh, working closely with national stakeholders to reflect local systems and barriers. This multi-country effort, funded by the Gates Foundation, aims to create a durable, practical resource that guides manufacturers and global partners in integrating TB tools efficiently into health systems. At its core, the work is about bridging the gap between promising TB diagnostic tools and communities in need.

From a sample to purified DNA - what technique makes it possible?