The inaugural talk of the Biotechnology Seminar Series was held on the 3rd August 2023, in the BRAC Auditorium. This is an event initiated by the Biotechnology Program, under the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MNS) of BRAC University, that aims to share recent advances in scientific disciplines that are relevant to biotechnology. It is expected that the seminar series will foster exchange of research ideas and scientific collaborations.
The program began at 3:00 PM with an opening speech by the Dean for the School of Data and Sciences, Dr. Mahbubul Alam Majumdar. He spoke of the importance that biotechnology has in our current socio-economic climate, and how it can be integrated with many co-operative disciplines, such as computer science and AI technology. Furthermore, he also emphasized on the importance of improving the field locally and providing both academic and research opportunities for currently enrolled students in the biotechnology program to take their skills to the next level. The Chairperson of the MNS Department, Dr. Yusuf Haider, highlighted the endless opportunities that biotechnological applications can have in conjunction with the more traditional natural sciences. The first talk of the biotechnology seminar series was delivered by Dr. Munima Haque, Associate Professor and Program Director for the Biotechnology Program at BRAC University. Dr. Munima was introduced to the audience by Dr. Iftekhar Bin Naser, Associate Professor for the Biotechnology Program.
Dr. Munima’s presentation gave the listeners a broad yet comprehensive understanding of the different fields of research she is currently involved in, which include Nanobiotechnology, Radiation and Environmental Biotechnology, Health and Medical Physics, Public Health and Biomedical Data Sciences. Some of her research was initiated during her time abroad – particularly the research on nanobiotechnology (at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA). Other research endeavors are concentrated far more locally, with participants being fellow academics and students. Some of these include researching the radiation effects of cell-phone towers, studies on the microplastics found in marine ecosystems, and endometriosis research for women in Bangladesh.
The 1-hour presentation was followed by a brief question-answer session. During this period, our honorable guest, Professor Dr. Mohammed Quamruzzaman (Dean, Faculty of Engineering and currently serving Head of Department for EEE, World University of Bangladesh) shared his own experiences of working with the effects of radiation and illustrated the importance of maintaining proper ethics and safety concerns while doing research in such fields. Dr. Munima has been collaborating with Professor Dr. Quamruzzaman on multiple research ventures.
Dr. Munima’s current research interests focus on biotechnology in the Bangladesh context. Specifically, she is working on how industrial wastes affect Bangladeshi population, to what extent Bangladeshi population is exposed to non-ionizing radiations. Her team is also working on different public health concerns related to women in Bangladesh.