Sumon Ghosh

With over ten years of research experience at icddr,b, I appreciate the need for further academic study to build the bridge between professional competency and research methods that form a life-long knowledge repository dedicated to addressing emerging health problems. To expand my knowledge as an infectious diseases epidemiologist, I joined the lab of Dr. Daleniece Jones at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA, to complete my Ph.D. My research primarily focuses on molecular microbial food safety epidemiology. Enteric diseases are a worldwide issue that can cause considerable morbidity and mortality. Enteric disease agents and resulting outbreaks vary widely in terms of their host range, reservoir, prevalence, mutation rates, environmental stability, epidemic potential, consumer behaviors, infective dose, the complexity of the associated food chain, and transmission mechanisms. The results of these outbreaks manifest clinically via the rapid onset of diarrhea (often bloody), fever, abdominal cramps, headaches, vomiting, and nausea. The precise burden of enteric diseases is difficult to establish as they often occur in vulnerable populations where there is substantial underreporting. Thus, it is crucial to understand better the risk factors associated with the enteric disease. Earlier, enteric diseases have commonly been associated with exposure to contaminated food and water and through contact with animals. Furthermore, though not widely researched, some studies have shown that socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors can impact disease rates. My research will help identify the risk factors (food, water, animal and environmental exposures, socioeconomic factors, and sociodemographic factors) associated with the enteric disease. The secondary purpose of my Ph.D. project is to complete a case-case analysis to assess risk factors among the bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, and Campylobacter) associated with enteric disease. Many drivers may increase food safety risks, requiring active governmental policy setting and anticipation by food industries, whereas other drivers may decrease food safety risks. Monitoring of contamination in the food chain, human illness surveillance, and epidemiological investigations of outbreaks and sporadic cases continue to be essential sources of information. New approaches in human illness surveillance include molecular markers for improved outbreak detection and source attribution, seroepidemiology, and disease burden estimation. Current developments in molecular techniques make it possible to rapidly assemble information on the genome of various isolates of microbial species of concern. Such information can be used to develop new tracking and tracing methods and investigate micro-organisms' behavior under environmentally relevant stress conditions. These novel tools and insight need to be applied to objectives for food safety strategies and models that predict microbial behavior. In addition, the increasing complexity of the global food systems necessitates improved communication between all parties involved: scientists, risk assessors, risk managers, and consumers. In future, I intend to continue researching molecular microbial food safety epidemiology and work on bacterial genomics and molecular diagnostics of food-borne pathogens. I will also work on various research projects that characterize the socioeconomic disparities in environmental samples.

My educational and professional objective to pursue a doctoral program in Public Health at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville has both short- and long-term objectives. In the short term, my goals are to sharpen my skills in relevant subjects and the scientific application of those skills in original research honed in collaboration with diverse professionals in academia. My long-term goals are to combine my professional capacity to recognize existing and emergent public health problems with enhanced academic research skills to develop a systematic analytical process that recognizes existing research, generates innovates techniques to increase knowledge, and distributes that knowledge through research publications. My goals are greatly influenced by parental role models and leading professionals. Their generosity and continuous learning lead to my desire to become a model public health advocate.

I like travelling and making new new friends.