Bangladeshi scientist Dr. Firdausi Qadri on Tuesday received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her contributions to science as a recognition of her role in discovering vaccines that have saved millions of lives. Dr Qadri is known for her work in the fight against cholera and typhoid, which are major diseases in Bangladesh and across Asian and African countries that have limited access to safe water, sanitation, education, and medical care.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation board of trustees in a statement recognized Quadri’s passion and life-long devotion to science, and her vision of building the human and physical infrastructure that will benefit the coming generation of Bangladeshi scientists, particularly women scientists.

The RMAF also mentioned Quadri’s untiring contributions to vaccine development, advanced biotechnological therapeutics and critical research that has been saving millions of precious lives.

Early in her career, Dr. Qadri focused on medical research and, in 1988, joined the International Centre For Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, an international health research institute based in Dhaka.

She specialized in communicable diseases, immunology, vaccine development and clinical trials.

In 2014, Dr. Qadri founded the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives, which she currently heads. The institute conducts biomedical research and holds training courses and runs a training center.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award - sometimes called the Asian Nobel -  is named after a former Philippine president, and recognizes Asians who have demonstrated integrity in governance, courageous service to the people and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society.

(SAM)