About
Dr. Ahmad Khairul Abrar is a physician, epidemiologist, and public health researcher serving as an Assistant Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology and Research, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, Bangladesh. His work focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention and control, particularly hypertension, dietary sodium reduction, nutrition policy, and health-system strengthening.
He has experience in designing and conducting epidemiological and implementation research, including clinical and community-based trials, with a focus on hypertension prevention and control and population-level dietary sodium reduction. His work includes decentralization of hypertension care to primary and community-level health facilities, task-sharing with non-physician health workers, implementation of the WHO HEARTS technical package, and strategies to improve hypertension detection, treatment, and control. He conducts research on dietary sources of sodium, food composition and sodium content, consumer and dietary behaviors, and strategies to reduce sodium intake in Bangladesh, including trials evaluating low-sodium salt substitutes for blood pressure reduction and cardiovascular disease prevention. His broader nutrition research includes food labeling, reformulation, and policy approaches to improve the nutritional quality of the food environment.
Dr. Abrar has contributed to national and international collaborative research involving the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, Johns Hopkins University, the World Health Organization, Resolve to Save Lives, Gates Foundation, and government health agencies in Bangladesh. His work integrates epidemiological methods with field implementation, quantitative and qualitative research, stakeholder engagement, and translation of research findings into health programs and policy.
He holds an MBBS from Comilla Medical College and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), and is currently pursuing an MSc in Health Economics from the University of Dhaka. His research interests include cardiovascular epidemiology, hypertension prevention and control, clinical and community trials, implementation science, dietary sodium reduction, nutrition policy, and health-system strengthening.
Research interests
- Cardiovascular epidemiology
- Hypertension prevention and control
- Primary health care and health-system strengthening
- Clinical trial
- Nutrition and sodium reduction
- Noncommunicable diseases
Current projects
- The Impact of Low-Sodium Salt Use on Serum Potassium Levels among Bangladeshi Hypertensive Patients (LSSS Trial)
- CB-HEARTS Integrated Community Refilling Demonstration Project
- A Comprehensive Dietary Sodium Reduction Initiative for Healthier Bangladesh
- Identification of Dietary Sources of Sodium in Bangladesh
- The Impact of Climate Change on Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Disease in Bangladesh: Catalyzing Policy Action
- Large Scale Food Fortification Country Advocacy Bangladesh
