Dr Firdausi Qadri, a Bangladeshi scientist won the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021, which is known as Asia’s Nobel Prize. Dr Firdausi has been honored with this prestigious award due to her magnificent contribution to infectious disease control, immunology, vaccine development, and clinical trials. This article will present a brief about Dr Firdausi Qadri, her journey as a researcher, and her achievement of the Ramon Magsaysay Award. Who is Dr Firdausi Qadri? Emeritus Scientist for infectious diseases Dr Firdausi Qadri was born on March 31, 1951. She obtained her BSc in 1975 and MSc in 1977 from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka. Later she received her Ph.D. in 1980 from the Department of Biochemistry/ Immunology, University of Liverpool, UK. After completing post-doctoral research from International Centre For Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh’s (icddr,b) Department of Immunology, she joined the same institute in 1988 as an associate scientist. Firdausi was later appointed as a senior scientist and head of the Department of Mucosal Immunology and Vaccinology at the same institution. Currently, Firdausi Qadri is working as Emeritus Scientist at icddr,b. Read Dr Qadri wins Magsaysay Award for developing life-saving vaccines In the early years of her career, this Bangladeshi scientist has been working on research related to medicine. She played a leading role in specializing in such research activities. Firdausi has worked on the cholera vaccine development for about 25 years. She also specializes in ETEC, typhoid, Helicobacter pylori, rotavirus, and other infectious diseases. Qadri has an important contribution to the development of the typhoid vaccine for children and the elderly. Besides these, she contributed to the development of a remedy for this disease for 9-month-old newborns. Honors and rewards In 2008, Firdausi was awarded the Gold Medal of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences. In 2002, she won the Christophe Merieux Prize for her research on infectious intestinal diseases in developing countries. In 2013, she received the annual C. N. R. Rao award from the world academy of sciences for her advancements in science in developing countries. READ: Dr Firdausi Qadri’s Magsaysay: Fitting recognition for a pioneering life’s work In 2014, Dr. Firdausi Qadri was appointed as a consultant to a high-level panel to make the UN-proposed technology bank and the systems supporting science and innovation more efficient organizationally. She was the first person in South Asia to receive a Grand Prize from the Christoph and Rudolph Foundation. In 2012, icddr,b recognized Qadri as the best female employee of the year. She received the L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award (Asia-Pacific Region) in 2020 for her significant contribution to the identification of infectious diseases in developing countries and the prevention of their spread worldwide. In 2013, Qadri received Ananya's top 10 awards. Further, in 2021, Asian Scientist Magazines, a Singapore-based science magazine included her in the list of the 100 best scientists in Asia. Ferdousi is also a member of the Academy of Sciences of Bangladesh and the International Ambassador of Bangladesh American Society for Microbiology. Read Safwan Sobhan receives AsiaOne Magazine's 'Asia's Greatest Leader' award

Three Bangladeshi scientists, all of them women, have made it to the list of "best and brightest" 100 Asian scientists for their contribution to research. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh's Dr Firdausi Qadri, Model Livestock Advancement Foundation's Dr Salma Sultana, and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology's Professor Saima Subrina have been included in the sixth edition of the list published by Singapore-based magazine Asian Scientist. Read Legendary Women in Bangladesh with Pioneering Contribution in Diverse Fields Scientists from China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have also secured a place on the prestigious list. Researchers and inventors from across a range of scientific disciplines have been picked based on their role in tackling this year's key challenges, including Covid-19 and climate change, said Asian Scientist. Read 2 Bangladeshi women named in BBC 100 Women 2020 list All three Bangladeshi scientists previously received an international award for their leadership and role in effective discovery. Dr Firdausi, an emeritus scientist at icddr,b, won the L'Oréal-Unesco for Women in Science Award 2020 for her work on understanding and preventing infectious diseases affecting children in developing countries and advocacy for early diagnosis and global vaccination. Read Bangladeshi young medical scientist shines in Japan Dr Salma, the founder of Model Livestock Advancement Foundation, previously won the Norman E Borlaug Award 2020 for field research and application by the World Food Prize Foundation for her work with Bangladeshi small-scale farmers – namely her efforts involving veterinary outreach, treatment, and education.  Professor Samia received the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award 2020 for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for her research on the properties and uses of nanomaterials. Read Women continue making amazing contributions in STEM fields.