CURRICULUM VITAE
Zarina Nahar Kabir
Biographical Data
Residence:Sofielundsvägen 9
191 47 Sollentuna
Sweden
Phone: (46 8) 6129583
Mobile: +46(0)709 423439 / Professional Affiliation:
Division of Nursing
Dept. of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society
Karolinska Institutet
Alfred Nobels Alle 23, 23300
141 83 Huddinge,
SWEDEN
E-mail:
Date of Birth: September 30, 1964 / Citizenship: Bangladeshi & Swedish.
Qualification as Associate Professor
Year: 2007 in the area of Public Health at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Education
1983-86 / B.A. Honours (Economics) / University of Delhi, India1989-90 / M.A. (Gender & Development) / Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK
1995-2001 / PhD (Epidemiologic Ageing Research/Public Health) / Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
I have more than 20 years of professional experience of working at field level both in research and intervention programmes in Bangladesh. I have substantial experience in programme implementation & management, research and higher education in Bangladesh as well as experience in management, research and higher education in Sweden. My experience has enabled me to recognise strengths and opportunities in coordinating activities conducted across disciplines, regional borders, across programme and research. My recent experience as Director of Social Development Programme at BRAC in Bangladesh has given me in-depth experience on governance for poverty alleviation, community participation in improving service delivery of local government, human rights issues, and particularly partnership between different programmes and organisations in achieving the common goal of development. In my current position as the head of unit in a division with one of the largest education programme at Karolinska Institute, I have experience of management in higher education, diverse pedagogic methods, integration of research and education. As Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at Karolinska Institute, I have a special focus on capacity development in research, particularly for those in or related to low-income countries.
Professional Experience
Current Employment
May 2001 – present: I have held various positions at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet (KI), Stockholm. I am currently employed as Senior Researcher and Head of Unit (till Dec 2011) at the largest division within the department.
(October 2007-February 2009, on leave of absence from KI to work at BRAC, Bangladesh, details given in the next section)
July-September 2006, on leave of absence from KI to work at BRAC University, Bangladesh as a consultant for setting up Centre of Health Systems Studies under the auspices of James P. Grant School of Public Health.)
Major responsibilities:
One of the main responsibilities is to create an academic environment at the unit and the division and oversee the development and integration of research, education and clinical expertise from a national and international perspective within the area of caring science. I also teach in the education programme for nurses (undergraduate and specialist education). I am responsible for personnel and finances of the unit. I am leader of the research constellation ‘Community care during the life-span’ formed in 2010 for External Research Assessment at Karolinska Institute. A few my projects are listed below:
Research project: ‘Impact of maternal perinatal depressive symptoms on infant growth and health in Bangladesh’. Co-principal investigator of a collaborative project between Karolinska Institute, Brac University and BRAC. The project aims to investigate the prevalence, incidence and risk factors of maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms around childbirth and its impact on birth outcomes and infant’s development at 2-3 and 6 months postpartum in rural Bangladesh.
Research project: Co-principal investigator of collaborative project, “Poverty and Health in Ageing”, with ICDDR,B Centre for Health and Population Research, Bangladesh (an international research organization) with the central role for scientific coordination of the project between project members in Bangladesh and Sweden. This study aims to explore how biological, environmental, and societal factors are interrelated, and how they affect ageing. Its objective is to describe the morbidity pattern, functional status quality of life and use of health care of population aged 60 years and older in a rural area of Bangladesh using survey methods, clinical investigations, cognitive testing and laboratory analyses.
Education project: ‘Building partnership for better health’. I represent Karolinska Institutet in this project on improving higher education in low-income countries. The European Union financed (through EU-Asia Link Programme) project involves partners from universities in Bangladesh (Brac University), India (Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology), Sweden (Karolinska Institutet), The Netherlands (University of Amsterdam) and the United Kingdom (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine).
Research project: Coordinator of a successfully completed multi-centre project (involving Bangladesh, Vietnam, United Kingdom and Sweden), “Primary Health-care in Later Life: Improving Service in Vietnam and Bangladesh” (PHILL), financed by European Commission (2002-2005). The project aimed to improve health and quality of life of elderly people through interventions at primary health care level in rural Bangladesh and Vietnam. Although the project has officially been completed, the data generated through the project are still being analysed and studied. Three PhD students have completed their theses under my supervision using this data.
Network building: Initiator and Co-coordinator of International Network on Public Health and Aging (INOPA), a network of eleven academic, government and non-government organisations in eight countries located in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.
Initiator and Co-coordinator of nurse training programme at National Institute of Cardio-vascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka, Bangladesh, as collaboration between Karolinska Institute in Sweden and NICVD in Bangladesh.
Short-term consultant to Sida for mapping of research activities at World Health Organisation.
Previous Employment
August 2008 till February 2009: Director, Social Development Programme, BRAC in Bangladesh is one of the largest non-government organizations in the world. [On leave of absence from Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Stockholm during August 2008-February 2009.]
The Social Development (SD) Programme supports community forums through which poor people are made aware of their rights, can claim their entitlements and resist exploitation. More than 12,000 such forums help strengthen the voice of poor women and poor communities – they become active citizens and leaders in setting the agenda for change at all levels in order to tackle poverty, injustice, and inequality in the society. Through its work with local government in 29 districts in Bangladesh, SD also strengthens local governance for the effective delivery of public services, promotion of accountability and transparency and development of capacity of elected local government representatives. Human rights violation issues are addressed by the programme by providing support to victims and through advocacy against violence, particularly domestic violence and violence against women. SD uses popular theatre as a major tool in the programme recognising it as a powerful medium in raising awareness focusing on various social-political issues that affect the poor, particularly women, in rural communities. Four hundred popular theatre groups managed by the programme held more than 30,000 performances in the country in 2007.
Nov ‘93 – May ’95: Research Assistant with the Kungsholmen project, a longitudinal study on ageing and dementia at Stockholm Gerontology Research Centre and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Geriatrics Division, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm.
1991
Consultant for The Population Council in Bangladesh to conduct a survey of client-provider relationship. The project especially focused on counseling to women who were taking Norplant (contraceptive implant) in Bangladesh as part of a three-country study sites introducing NORPLANT.
Consultant for The World Bank, in Bangladesh, to conduct a Training and Needs Assessment Survey for designing the Women Entrepreneur Management Training Outreach Program (WEMTOP). The aim of the research was to identify type of support for rural poor women facing challenges or running small businesses in a male dominated society.
Research Facilitator for Dr.Ulrike Mueller-Glodde in writing a book on rural poor women in Bangladesh. Related activity involved interviewing women who were struggling to get out of poverty by involving in income generating activities.
Research Coordinator of a study on Election 1991 in Bangladesh, jointly conducted by Market Research Consultants of Bangladesh and "Gonotantrik Uddog" (Democratic Initiative).
January 1989 Assistant to Director of a film project on Grameen Bank,
to March 1989 Bangladesh, a credit providing organization for rural poor, particularly women. The organization Grameen Bank and its founder Dr. Mohammed Yunus received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
Nov ‘86 – ’88: At Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Bangladesh, one of the largest non-government organizations in the world, within the following capacities:
June 1988 to Programme Organiser
December 1988 Rural Development Project, BRAC.
Based at: Jamalpur (rural). Job description: Setting up village organizations (VO) of landless people, particularly women, assessing credit eligibility of VO members, providing credit, supervising credit operations as well as involvement in relief operations during natural disasters.
December 1987 Staff Economist
to May 1988 Research and Evaluation Division, BRAC.
Based at: Dhaka. Job description: Conducting research on health issues.
November 1986 to Research Assistant
November 1987 Research and Evaluation Division (RED), BRAC.
Based at: Manikganj (rural). Job description: Conducting field interviews, both quantitative and qualitative, and serving as a link between the research field stations and the main RED office at the headquarters.
Teaching Experience
Course coordinator, Master’s of Public Health course ‘Ageing and Health’ held annually since 2005 at James P. Grant School of Public Health, Bangladesh.
Course coordinator, with Prof. Laura Fratiglioni, of a post-graduate course ‘Application of Epidemiological Methods in Aging Brain Research’ held in October 2003 from Division of Geriatric Epidemiology, Neurotec, Karolinska Institutet.
Course coordinator, with Dr. Hedda Agüero Eklund, of a post-graduate course ‘Applying Epidemiological Methods in Aging Research’ held in April 2002 from Division of Geriatric Epidemiology, Neurotec, Karolinska Institutet.
Lectures in courses/topics on:
‘Health Policy and Management’, Medical Management Centre (MMC) & Division of International Health (IHCAR), Karolinska Institutet; October 2006.
‘Global Medicine’ organised by Division of International Health (IHCAR), Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet;
‘International health’ organised by Nordic School of Public Health; 2003.
‘Ageing worldwide’ at School of Social Work, Stockholm University; 2003.
International faculty member of James P. Grant School of Public Health, Bangladesh (JPG-SPH) (http://www.bracu.ac.bd). The international faculty is represented by Boston University, Columbia University, Harvard University, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Umeå University, University of Amsterdam, Uppsala University etc.
Supervision of research training:
Phd completed:
1. Syed Masud Ahmed: Topic: Health-seeking behaviour of disadvantaged populations in
rural Bangladesh including the role of poverty-focused development interventions. (Co-supervisor) (PhD completed: November 4, 2005 from Karolinska Institute, Sweden)
2. Jan Nilsson: Topic: Health-related quality of life of elderly people in rural Bangladesh. (Main supervisor) (PhD completed: December 16, 2005 from Karolinska Institute, Sweden)
3. Masud Rana: Topic: Impact of Low-cost and Health Promotion Intervention on Health Status of Elderly People in Rural Bangladesh. (Main supervisor. PhD completed April 24, 2009 from Karolinska Institute, Sweden)
4. Tamanna Ferdous: Topic: Nutrition, functional ability and ageing. (Co-supervisor. PhD completed September 22, 2009 at Uppsala University, Sweden).
Licentiate Completed from Karolinska Institute, Sweden:
- Tamanna Ferdous: Topic: Prevalence of Malnutrition and Determinants of Nutritional Status among Elderly People: A population-based study in rural Bangladesh. (Co-supervisor; Completed: January 31, 2007)
Presently supervising the following students:
Phd
1. Nasreen-E Hashima: Topic: Maternal peri-natal depressive symptoms and anxiety: Prevalence, risk factors and impact on infant growth in rural Bangladesh. (Co-supervisor. Registration: June 18, 2008 at Karolinska Institute).
Licentiate (MPhil)
1. Azar Tavallali: Topic: Parents’ experiences of nurses’ cultural competence in Swedish pediatric care. (Co-supervisor. Registration: April, 2011 at Karolinska Institute).
Successful Research Grants
I have been the person responsible in developing and writing all of the following successful grant applications:
1. Project title: “Building partnership for better health”. Amount received: €749,000; Period: 2007 to September 2010; Source: European Commission.
2. Project title: “International Network on Public Health and Aging (INOPA)”. Amount received: SEK 500,000; Period: 2005 to September 2007; Source: Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research.
3. Project title: “Impact of Low-cost and Health Promotion Intervention on Health Status of Elderly People in Rural Bangladesh”. Amount received: Nine-month scholarship for one PhD student at Karolinska Institute; Period: September 2005 to May 2006; Source: Swedish Institute.
4. Project title: “Primary Health-care in Later Life: Improving Service in Bangladesh and Vietnam (PHILL)” in collaboration with partners in Bangladesh, Vietnam and United Kingdom. Amount received: € 869,000; Period: October 2002 to September 2005; Source: European Commission.
5. Project title: “Intervention at Primary Health Care Level to Improve Quality of Life of Elderly People in a Low-income Country”. Amount received: Full doctoral salary for 4 years for one PhD student plus SEK 30,000 per year for 4 years; Period: January 2002 – December 2005. Source: Forskarskolan i vård och omsorg, Karolinska Institutet.
6. Project title: “Future of the Elderly in Bangladesh: A Study on the Influence of Traditional Norms and Changing Demographics on Social Support”. Amount received: SEK 900,000; Period: 1997-99; Source: Sida/SAREC (Swedish International Development Agency).
7. Project title: “Future of the Elderly in Bangladesh: A Study on the Influence of Traditional Norms and Changing Demographics on Social Support”. Amount received: SEK 200,000; Period: 1995-96; Source: Sida/SAREC (Swedish International Development Agency).
I have received the following grants as the main applicant:
1. Project title: “The double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases among elderly in rural Bangladesh”. Amount received: SEK 50,000; Year: 2006 Source: The Foundation for Geriatric Diseases at Karolinska Institutet.
2. Project title: “Nutrition in the context of poverty: A population-based study of elderly persons in rural Bangladesh”. Amount received: SEK 36,100; Year: 2006 Source: Karolinska Institutet Research Foundation.
3. Planning grant of ‘Nurse training for geriatric care in Bangladesh’. Amount received: SEK 60,000. Year: 2005. Source: SASNET-Swedish South Asian Studies Network.
4. Travel grant for participants from developing countries at international conference “Mainstreaming Ageing in Health Systems and Rural Development” of which I was the international coordinator. Amount received: SEK 100,000; Period: 2005; Source: Sida/Sarec.