Researcher

Mr Md Saiful Islam

My Expertise

My expertise is in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, surveillance, outbreak investigation, immunisation, and infection prevention and control. I study broader social, behavioural, and infrastructural factors that contribute to disease emergence, spread and prevention. My vision is to integrating social science in epidemic preparedness, response, and recovery as a core component. I use multi-methods to understand community behaviours, attitudes, and practices. To understand the complex and unexpected public health emergencies, I often engage local communities and use social science theories and critical public health research.

Fields of Research (FoR)

Infectious diseases, Public health, Health and community services, Health services and systems

Biography

Dr. Md Saiful Islam is a social epidemiologist and lecturer at the School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales. His research and teaching center on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, surveillance, and outbreak investigation, as well as infection prevention and control, including antimicrobial resistance and immunization. I examine broader social, behavioural, and infrastructural factors...view more

Dr. Md Saiful Islam is a social epidemiologist and lecturer at the School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales. His research and teaching center on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, surveillance, and outbreak investigation, as well as infection prevention and control, including antimicrobial resistance and immunization. I examine broader social, behavioural, and infrastructural factors that contribute to disease emergence, spread and prevention, including vaccination.

Saiful earned a PhD in public health from UNSW, focusing on infection prevention and control in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). He completed post-doctoral training in emerging infectious diseases, with a specific focus on COVID-19 contact tracing and quarantine policies, and their implementation in LMICs. Saiful has worked in dynamic and complex environments in Australia and globally, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Pacific Island countries, Mali, and Mozambique.

His research on emerging infectious diseases emphasizes the One Health approach and integrates social science intelligence in epidemic preparedness, response, and recovery. This includes research on the social and behavioral drivers of emerging pathogen spillover from animals to humans, understanding transmission pathways of Nipah virus, anthrax, and avian influenza. Currently, this work is being undertaken in Australia and Bangladesh.

Saiful's research on infection prevention and control focuses on healthcare-associated infection surveillance, prevalence, and incidence of latent TB among healthcare workers, and the examination of airborne infection control policies and their implementation in LMICs. His research on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship explores perceptions of antibiotic stewardship programs, determinants of antibiotic prescribing patterns among physicians in Bangladesh, and the design and implementation of context-appropriate interventions to enhance the rational use of antibiotics. Additionally, he engages patients and family caregivers in IPC activities in health settings.