Researcher

Dr Abrar Ahmad Chughtai

Field of Research (FoR)

Biography

Abrar is a medically trained epidemiologist, having more than 18 years’ experience in the health sector with governmental, non-governmental and international health organizations. He has a substantial experience of public health programs and infectious diseases research, having worked in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Tuberculosis Control Programs for many years. Currently he is working as a Lecturer in the School of Public Health...view more

Abrar is a medically trained epidemiologist, having more than 18 years’ experience in the health sector with governmental, non-governmental and international health organizations. He has a substantial experience of public health programs and infectious diseases research, having worked in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Tuberculosis Control Programs for many years. Currently he is working as a Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales Australia. He is director of Master of Infectious Diseases Intelligence (MIDI) Program. His research interests include epidemiology and control of infectious disease, focusing on emerging and re-emerging infections. He has published 87 journal papers (64 during last 5 years), one book chapter, three government reports and 12 conference papers/abstracts during last 10 years. He has generated significant knowledge around the use of face masks to protect from infectious diseases, which has influenced policy and practice internationally.

Abrar is convening two infectious diseases courses in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine. He is also supervising PhD, Masters, internship and independent learning program (ILP) students.

My Grants

2020-2021 MRFF Research Grants A randomised controlled trial of mask use in control of respiratory outcomes during bushfire season MacIntyre, Shah, Chughtai, Seale

My Qualifications

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)

Master in Public Health (MPH) in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Control

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

My Awards

SPHCM Early career teaching award 2018

Finalist in the 2017 Eureka Prizes

Won the CAPHIA Research Team Prize in 2017

“Best Thesis Award” 2015 - School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW

Dean’s Award from Faculty of Medicine UNSW (November 2013), acknowledging the achievements with the potential to become nationally competitive researcher

Competitive International Postgraduate Scholarship by University of New South Wales for PhD in Public Health and Community Medicine in Australia – 2012-2015

Competitive Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) scholarship for Master in Public Health in Australia – 2009

My Research Activities

Abrar's research interests include infectious diseases epidemiology and control, personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccine preventable diseases and surveillance. He is an emerging leader in research on PPE and has conducted many epidemiological, clinical and policy studies to examine various aspects of PPE in both high and low-income countries. His most important research contributions have been to examine the role of facemasks in resource limited settings. Since 2012, he has co-authored more than 89 publications that were instrumental in the development and or modification of national and international infection control policies.

He is part of a large PPE research group in UNSW, which has conducted the largest body of RCTs on the use of masks and respirators in Australia and internationally to date. Among the six published RCTs on mask/ respirator use in healthcare settings, four were conducted by the PPE group. Due to this work, PPE research group was finalist in the Australian Eureka Prizes in Infectious Diseases in 2017 and won the CAPHIA Team Award in 2017 for Excellence and Innovation in Public Health Research.

My Research Supervision

Areas of supervision

Infectious diseases epidemiology and control, personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccine preventable diseases and surveillance.

Currently supervising

PhD, Masters, internship and independent learning program (ILP) students.

My Engagement

Abrar has an extensive experience of working in humanitarian emergencies in low resource settings.

Abrar has been appointed a member of the Human Research Advisory Panel: (HREAP) G: Health, Medical, Community and Social since September 2019. The membership on the panel is for three years and considered as a significant responsibility and an extremely important contribution to research in the University.

Abrar is also member of level 3 WHS committee in SPHCM UNSW since 2014.