Researcher

Dr Abrar Ahmad Chughtai

Fields of Research (FoR)

Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, Public Health and Health Services

Biography

Abrar is a medical 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 Population, University of...view more

Abrar is a medical 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 Population, University of New South Wales Australia. He is the director of Master of Infectious Diseases Intelligence (MIDI) Program. His research interests include epidemiology and control of infectious diseases, focusing on emerging and re-emerging infections. He has published more than 100 journal papers, one book chapter, three government reports and 12 conference papers/abstracts during last 8 years. He has generated significant knowledge around the use of face masks to protect from infectious diseases, which has influenced policy and practice internationally. The impact of his work on face masks has been huge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abrar is convening two infectious diseases courses at School of Population Health. He is also supervising PhD, Masters, internship and independent learning program (ILP) students. He has received two teaching awards from the School.

My Grants

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

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

Alan Hodgkinson prize for outstanding contribution to teaching in 2020 from School of Population Health

Early career researcher teaching award in 2018 from School of Population Health

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 personal protective equipment (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 100 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

Infectious diseases surveillance

Currently supervising

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

My Engagement

Abrar has been working as temporary advisor/ consultant with Eastern Mediterranean Region of World Health Organisation.

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 member of Early Career and Postgraduate subcommittee (ECAPS) of Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australia (CAPHIA) since February 2019.

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