Website
View Website
I hold a B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before moving to the United States, I worked at icddr,b with Dr. Tahmeed Ahmed in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Gordon at Washington University in St. Louis, where I focused on identifying non-invasive biomarkers for malnutrition. Beyond my research, I enjoy exploring history, playing soccer, and cooking.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects ~25% of the global population, with many progressing to fibrosis and advanced liver injury. Dietary cholesterol is a known contributor to liver diseases and can be directly metabolized by gut microbes. Food processing and storage can lead to the formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs), bioactive lipids that are more polar and reactive than unoxidized cholesterol. These molecules are increasingly present in ultra-processed foods, which constitute over half of daily caloric intake in the United States. My preliminary data show that dietary COP exposure increases liver injury markers in mice.
The aim of my research is to determine how dietary cholesterol vs. COPs contribute to the development and progression of liver injury and fibrosis through the gut–liver axis. Using both specific pathogen-free (SPF) and germ-free (GF) mouse models, I will investigate whether cholesterol vs. COPs exacerbate liver injury directly, or indirectly by reshaping the gut microbiota and impairing gut barrier function.