Prof. Dr. Kamruddin Ahmed

Director

Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre (BMHRC)

Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

Title: Borneo Sustainability and Infectious Diseases: A One Health Perspect

Borneo’s ecological richness presents both unparalleled conservation opportunities and significant public health challenges. As environmental pressures intensify through climate change, deforestation, and urban expansion, the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases are increasingly shaped by human-environment interactions. We have been applying a One Health framework to explore the links between sustainability and infectious disease risks notably zoonotic malaria, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health. From recent studies in Sabah, here we highlight how integrating ecological stewardship with public health strategy can build resilience. Based on interdisciplinary research and local insights, we propose collaboration that bridges science, policy, and education to protect both the health of communities and the biodiversity of Borneo

Biography:
Professor Dr. Kamruddin Ahmed is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of infectious diseases, microbiology, and public health. He earned his MBBS from the University of Dhaka in 1986, followed by a Diploma in Tropical Medicine (DTM) from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University in 1988. He later completed his Ph.D. at Nagasaki University in 1992. Currently, Professor Ahmed serves as a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (since 2016) and as the Director of the Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre (since 2017) at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia. His prior appointments include Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Japan (2006–2016), Visiting Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science, Bilkent University, Turkey (2001–2004), and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University (1995–1997). He also held various research and teaching positions at Nagasaki University, Japan, between 1992 and 2006. Professor Ahmed has extensive teaching experience, having taught microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases to medical students; infectious diseases to Master in Tropical Medicine students; and biology, microbiology, and immunology to science students. He also teaches the epidemiology of tropical diseases to Doctor of Public Health students. Over his career, he has supervised seven PhD candidates, nine Master’s students, and thirty-seven undergraduate students. His research focuses on molecular epidemiology, emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses, and diagnostics for infectious diseases. He has authored 168 peer-reviewed publications and contributed chapters to six academic books. His work has received 4,679 citations, with an h-index of 38 and an i10-index of 125, according to Google Scholar. A sought-after speaker, Professor Ahmed has delivered 14 invited talks at international conferences and 15 invited lectures at universities and institutes across Japan, Turkey, Malaysia, Bhutan, Brunei, Finland, and the USA. In addition to his academic and research contributions, Professor Ahmed serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Borneo Journal of Medical Sciences (BJMS) since 2021. He has also served on the editorial boards of Journal of Physiological Anthropology, Tropical Medicine and Health (TMH), and previously for BJMS from 2018 to 2020. He is a Councilor of the Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine and an active peer reviewer for high-impact journals, including PLOS ONE, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vaccine, and others. He currently holds visiting professorships at Nagasaki University (since December 2019) and Oita University (since July 2022).