Founded in 1986, the International Society for Infectious Diseases supports organisations and professionals worldwide in their fight against infectious disease outbreaks, with a particular focus on resource-constrained settings. The society’s Emerging Leaders programme celebrates outstanding early-career researchers’ contributions and recognises their future potential. Past Emerging Leaders have distinguished themselves in areas including HIV, tuberculosis, dengue and zika research.
Zakiul Hassan’s research focuses on improving clinical care for the potentially pandemic Nipah virus. He works in collaboration with the PSI-hosted International Severe and Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium (ISARIC) and partners in Bangladesh such as the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) and the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research.
A medical doctor by training, Zakiul Hassan is currently designing a clinical development plan for Nipah virus therapeutics. Through the ISID platform, he plans to launch a Henipavirus knowledge-sharing network to foster collaboration and improve clinical care and research capacity in the most affected countries.
Zakiul Hassan said: 'I am excited to use this opportunity to advance our research, strengthen pandemic preparedness in LMICs and advocate for equitable access to medical countermeasures. Having Nipah’s devastating impact firsthand in Bangladesh, I am committed to strengthening responses in affected regions. This recognition marks a significant milestone in my early research career, enabling me to network with global experts and enhance efforts to address emerging infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries.'