Dr Mamun Ahmed – a professor from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – has been appointed as the new pro-vice chancellor (Academic) of Dhaka University (DU).
The education ministry issued the appointment in a notification on Thursday.
According to the notification, “Under Article 13(1) of the Dhaka University Order, 1973, with the approval of the president and chancellor, Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed has been appointed as pro-vice chancellor (Academic) of the university.”
Mamun has been appointed for a four-year term from the date of joining. “The president, and chancellor of the university, can cancel the appointment at any time,” the notification added.
He completed his bachelor’s and master’s from the DU Biochemistry & Molecular Biology department. Later, he completed PhD in virology from Nihon University School of Medicine, Japan and post-doctoral fellowship in translational and clinical virology at the University of Pittsburgh, USA.
Prof Mamun worked as research associate professor at Thomas E Starzl Transplant Institute, Pittsburgh and University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA. He teaches general biochemistry courses, especially virology at undergraduate level and Molecular Diagnostics at master’s level. Prof Mamun has published about 53 research articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals.
He has a keen interest in translational research on molecular virology & viral molecular diagnostics. The main focus of his research is to develop molecular diagnostic tests and apply those in the field of clinical virology.
Dr Mamun has over two decades of clinical experience & expertise in developing & customising new diagnostic procedures and taking those from the research environment to the diagnostic laboratory. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic he has been in the frontline to tackle SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh.
He served as elected general secretary of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association. He is also an elected member of Dhaka University Senate for three terms.
