This time Scientific Bangladesh has talked with Dr Ashraful Alam, an Assistant Professor in North South University. He thinks that we should change our asset donation culture.
Scientific Bangladesh: Please introduce yourself to the readers of scientific Bangladesh?
Dr Ashraful: I am Dr Md Ashraful Alam, currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North South University Bangladesh. I obtained B.Pharm (Hons.) from Pharmacy Discipline, Khulna University in 2004. I also completed MS in Pharmacology from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh in June 2006. I was awarded a PhD degree from The University of Queensland, Australia in May 2013.
Scientific Bangladesh: How your passion for research developed?
Dr Ashraful: My father is a physician doctor, so, I wanted to be a doctor also. I was good at biology and science subject. But, it did not happen. I wanted to serve the nation in a way that mass population may get the benefit. Probably, drug discoveries would be one of the ways. Then I got the admission in Pharmacy discipline. We did huge searching for new antibacterial agents from mangrove plants there at Khulna University.
Scientific Bangladesh: From your familiar environment of Khulna University, what made you to admit Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh?
Dr Ashraful: I passed B. Pharm (Hons.) in 2004 but there was no M. Pharm opportunity then. M. Pharm started at Khulna University in 2012. Interestingly, DU, JU pharmacy teachers were not interested to take any MS student from outside. So, I went to Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. I talked to Professor Dr Abdul Awal sir. He understood my research interest and gave me a chance to complete my MS in Pharmacology degree. I learned the way of systematic research from Professor Dr Abdul Awal sir. He is a nice and a learned person. He made me what I am today.
Scientific Bangladesh: Your research profile includes a wide range of experience from different research areas, any particular reason for that?
Dr Ashraful: I mostly work with oxidative stress and inflammation related problems in metabolic syndrome. I have several animal models such as (1) CCl4 induced liver fibrosis model, (2) 2K1C rats model, (3) ISO-induced cardiac remodelling model, (4) Fludrocortisone induced kidney remodelling model, (5) high-fat high carbohydrate induced obese rat model, (6) ovariectomized rat model etc. to address this issue. All are related to metabolic syndrome, so it may be wide but required.
Scientific Bangladesh: Would you like to share your PhD research findings with our readers?
Dr Ashraful: My PhD research work focused on the understanding of the causes of obesity and related cardiovascular complications. To understand this process, we used the diet induced obese rat model. We measured the development of vascular dysfunction and cardiac remodelling along with other parameters of metabolic syndrome. We also used pure natural antioxidant to evaluate their preventive nature against obesity development and efficacy in our obese rat model and tried to understand the mechanism of action in the molecular level. A good number of articles have been published from my research works at UQ. Now, we have several animal models for studying oxidative stress and related organ dysfunctions. We are also trying to find out the cures from natural sources for these oxidative stress-related complications.
Scientific Bangladesh: What was your responsibility as an academic staff of Queensland University?
Dr Ashraful: Not that important, I was tutoring some of the courses of my supervisor to undergraduate Pharmacy and Medical students at the University of Queensland.
Scientific Bangladesh: Could you share a memorable experience of PhD life?
Dr Ashraful: It was the time when I installed the Clark type electrode with AD-instrument chart data acquisition system in our lab for measuring the mitochondrial respiration study. I used this system for long two years to find out the activity of liver mitochondria in case of high-fat diet feeding in rats.
Scientific Bangladesh: According to you, what is the condition of toxicology research in Bangladesh? Do you have a plan to conduct more research work in this sector?
Dr Ashraful: I am not sure; I did not find any new group after Professor Dr Abdul Awal sir. Some people are doing some toxicological study but nothing is happening in a systematic way. Probably, we like pseudoscience very well and we like to give a statement in favour of popular belief. The result is the outcome of formalin ban. Formalin is not that toxic compared to aflatoxin or other toxic compounds. Aflatoxin can be found in moulded cereals, in flours, in poultry feed and the fish meal prepared from these moulded wheat cereals. Aflatoxin is not destroyed by heat and considered as a confirmed carcinogen. Now, the question is, what is the current scenario of moulded wheat cereals entering into this country by import or by other ways. Should we not focus on these matters?
I am planning to do more work in this sector in future. At this moment, an arsenic project is running. We treated male and female animals with arsenic to find out the toxicological profile in liver, kidney and heart. Some of these animals were also used to see whether the arsenic toxicity in parents will be transferred to offspring. We would also like to see how this toxicity may influence the growth of the fetus and embryonic life.
Another project is to set up a Zebrafish facility to identify the toxicities of pesticides and other industrial chemicals.
Scientific Bangladesh: Would you give a brief discussion about your other research works and publications that are well accepted by the readers?
Dr Ashraful: Not sure about this question.
Scientific Bangladesh: What is your feeling about the current condition of pharmaceutical research funds in Bangladesh? How it can be increased?
Dr Ashraful: Barely we have any separate fund for pharmaceutical research in Bangladesh. Researchers involved in pharmacy education in various universities are doing some small scale research work without focusing on a big game plan. Pharmaceutical Society/Pharmacy council is established in the country but surely they don’t understand the need for research. Organizing some stupid seminars and dinner party with good food is considered as the success of these forums. What more we can expect from them? Pharmaceutical industries are not interested to invest in this field. But the owner’s are very good at donating the money in some useless fields.
The culture of donating the asset to the scientific institution/specific research projects should be practised just like in the western world. Donating money to orphanage/madrasas to get the paradise in the afterlife is a weird concept. Rather it could be used for the fostering of science and technology in the country.
Scientific Bangladesh: How could the govt. can be approached to contribute to raising research funds in Bangladesh?
Dr Ashraful: The Government should have a great role in the development of science and technology as well as providing research fund. But, Govt. officials actually don’t know who will play the main role in this matter. Ministry of education, Ministry of science and technology, Ministry of health, ministry of agriculture or many more, all are there, but they do not have any integrated approach about managing and providing fund for research to the researchers.
The science policies in the government are not fair enough and are not helpful at all for the progression of science and technology in this country. Scientific equipment, reagents, accessories import from foreign countries is a nightmare in Bangladesh and the science policies are not helpful at all in this matter. Moreover, those people who are involved in selecting research projects for funding don’t really understand the merit of the research projects as well as they have no current knowledge in that particular sector.
Another, shortcoming of the Govt. does not fully understand the outcome of the research project in the long run. Govt. is spending money not that great amount. But whatever amount they are spending, is the outcome worth enough to get a good impact. Govt. should investigate, how many papers have been published in peer-reviewed journals by a researcher after receiving a fund (Any report should not be accepted as they are not judged by other experts).
But most likely, those people who are publishing their research results on a regular basis are not getting priority about receiving any fund.
Scientific Bangladesh: As a dedicated researcher, what would be your advice to the young researchers who are approaching to build a research-based career?
Dr Ashraful: Decide what really you want to do in life. If you find joy and interest in research, then think about choosing a profession in research. I find many of the young people are interested in research but after a while, they were found as lazy bigot and nuts. So, if you think you have the passion, time and dedication and also don’t care to sacrifice many things, then come and join as a researcher.
Scientific Bangladesh: Thank you for your insights and time.
Dr Ashraful: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk.
