Grant Number:	5U2RTW010122-10 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Ahsan, Habibul
Organization:	University Of Chicago
Project Title:	2/2 Bangladesh Center for Global Environmental and Occupational Health-Us
Fiscal Year:	2026

ABSTRACT: The U2R training program for the GEOHealth hub is relevant to U.S. environmental and global health research priorities because environmental exposures such as air pollution and occupational hazards are transnational challenges that directly affect both the United States and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Bangladesh represents a critically important setting for studying high-burden environmental exposures and exposure-related chronic diseases, generating scientific insights that are broadly applicable to the U. S. and global communities. Through sustained international collaboration and interdisciplinary training, the program provides U.S. mentors access to different environmental exposure settings and large longitudinal population-based cohorts. Furthermore, the program will establish a sustainable platform for US mentors to conduct collaborative research and strengthen international scientific partnerships that advance shared priorities in environmental epidemiology and health research, exposure science, and precision public health. The goal of the U2R training program for the Bangladesh Center for Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth), is to strengthen research and training capacity to address environmental and occupational health challenges in Bangladesh through a structured, multidisciplinary training platform. The U2R program, along with the linked U01 grant, is awarded to the University of Chicago (UofC) in partnership with the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), and implemented in collaboration with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and other academic institutions. Bangladesh GEOHealth Center has positively impacted the foundation of environmental health research capacity in Bangladesh by training more than 200 students, young and mid-career researchers from different backgrounds through custom-designed in-country 2-day workshops and 2-week short-courses, and 16 fellows through US- based postdoctoral fellowships and 12-week (one academic quarter) training at the UofC during the initial funding cycle (2015–2021). This renewal U2R program is built upon prior success by enhancing both in-country and U.S.-based training programs, including: (i) short-term workshops, (ii) intensive short courses, (iii) one academic coursework at UofC, (iv) a one-year master’s degree program in the Master of Science in Precision Health (MSPH), and (v) postdoctoral training. The curriculum is strengthened to incorporate emerging methodologies, including advanced data analytics, machine learning, mobile health (mHealth) technologies, and quantitative exposure assessment, all of which are linked to the U01 application’s research focus. A comprehensive evaluation framework is used to monitor trainee progress, program effectiveness, and long-term outcomes.