Rate My Professor Md. Anwarul Azim Akhand

Professor Dr. Md. Anwarul Azim Akhand is a professor in the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Dhaka, currently serving as Vice-Chancellor of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University since September 2024. He earned his BSc (Honours) and MSc degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Dhaka in 1986 and 1987, respectively. Awarded the Monbusho Scholarship from the Japanese government, he pursued advanced studies abroad and obtained his PhD in Immunology from Nagoya University, Japan, in 1998. Immediately after, he served as Research Resident (1998-2000) and Assistant Professor (2000-2002) in the Department of Immunology at Nagoya University School of Medicine. Returning to Bangladesh, he joined the University of Dhaka as Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in 2002, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2005—during which tenure he also chaired the department from August 2005 to August 2008—and elevated to Professor in April 2011, a position he continues to hold.

Professor Akhand's research specializations include bioremediation strategies to counter heavy metal toxicity, such as arsenic, through plant extracts administered in animal models and isolation of tolerant microorganisms for environmental cleanup; analysis of pollutants like chromium, iron, and other toxic elements in contaminated rivers, canals, and ponds from industrial effluents, with remediation approaches; and elucidation of intracellular signal transduction pathways modulated by environmental chemicals, drugs, mitogens, and allergens affecting cell growth, differentiation, and death. He has been honored with the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Young Scientist Award in 2005, the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) Award for Junior Scientist in 2004, and the Dean's Honour List Certificate from the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Dhaka in 1988 for excellence in his BSc (Honours) examination. Notable publications encompass "Beneficial and adverse effects of dam construction in canal tannery wastewater effluent with a high content of chromium in Hazaribagh, Bangladesh" (Chemosphere, 2024), "Unexpected associations of long-term and excessive exposure to trivalent chromium with hypertension and glycosuria in male tannery workers" (Chemosphere, 2023), "Decreased hearing levels at frequencies for understanding speech in tannery workers exposed to a high level of trivalent chromium in Bangladesh" (Chemosphere, 2022), "Redistribution of potentially toxic elements in the hydrosphere after the relocation of a group of tanneries" (Chemosphere, 2022), and book chapters like "Cells and organs of the immune system" in Immunology for Dentistry (Wiley, 2023). His contributions address pressing environmental and health challenges in Bangladesh.