Dr. Zannatun Noor
Designation: Assistant Scientist and Deputy Project Coordinator
Academic Institution: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
Research Field: Enteric and Respiratory Infection, Infectious Diseases Division
Research Interest: Immunology, Infectious diseases
E-mail: zannatun@icddrb.org
Personal Website:
Researchgate Profile: Zannatun Noor (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zannatun-Noor)
LinkedIn: Zannatun Noor (linkedin.com/in/zannatun-noor-30ba9b144 )
Institutional Contact:
Parasitology laboratory, IDD, icddr,b
Short Biography
Zannatun Noor is an early career research female scientist at icddr,b. She began her steps toward scientific training in Dr. Rashidul Haque’s lab and worked in the field of molecular diagnostics, also completed her master’s thesis entitled “Chromatographic paper strip for diagnosis of Entamoeba histolytica by Real time polymerase chain reaction”. During her master’s research she developed her interest in enteric infections and its long-term impact on child health and nutrition. She acquired substantial technical expertise during this period of research that provided a solid platform for her to step forward. She completed her PhD at University of Virginia, USA
on 2016 and completed a thesis entitled “Mucosal immunology against amebic colitis”. Her thesis project explored the mechanism of innate immunity in protection against amebic colitis, which is leading cause of diarrhea in children in developing countries. In 2019, she has received two prestigious research awards, namely: Emerging Global Leader Award from Fogarty, NIH and Thrasher Early Career award. Currently, Dr. Zannatun Noor is conducting three research projects as Principal Investigator. Her current research focused on child nutrition and child enteric infection. In her 5 years NIH grant project she is looking host defense against Shigella
flexneri, one of the most important problems in enteric infections. The importance of Shigella flexneri derives not only from it being an antimicrobial resistant (AMR) organism but also for its recent identification as the leading cause of diarrhea in infants in low- and middle-income countries. The innovative aspect of her study is the ability to analyze the colonic tissue response during acute infection and upon convalescence from S. flexneri infection in humans. She will use advanced technology including cDNA sequencing (RNA-seq) for gene expression analysis and mass cytometry (CyTOF) techniques for identifying cellular infiltrates. These findings will
uncover critical information on the shigella-host interactive network and provide a foundation for developing host-directed therapeutics. In addition, her Thrasher awarded research grant she is studying for an effective treatment of Cryptosporidiosis in Bangladeshi children. She is conducting a randomized study in the Mirpur slum area, where cryptosporidium infected children will receive Nitazoxanide treatment with or without the probiotic, Lactobacillus reuteriDSM 17938. The significance of the work lies in the ability of the study to provide new approaches to treat and prevent Cryptosporidiosis. She has been also received a Transformer fund from IsDB to study enteric infection, malnutrition and environmental enteropathy status of Rohingya children in Bangladesh. Currently, she is also working as co-investigator in six different projects focused on different enteric infections. She serves as section Editor for Current tropical Medicine Reports on 2015-2016. She received third and first position at ASCODD Best Poster Award on 2017 and 2020 respectively. The skills and experience she will acquire carrying out these research and career development activities will forward her to a career path to be an independent scientist.
Other Experiences:
2015 – 2016 Section Editor, Current Tropical Medicine Reports
Awards and Recognition
1) Emerging Global Leader Award, Fogarty, NIH, USA, July, 2019.
2) Thrasher Early Career Award, Thrasher research fund, USA, August, 2019.
3) Best Poster award, 1st position, 15th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease &
Nutrition (ASCODD) on 28-30 th January, 2020 at Dhaka, Bangladesh.
4) Best Poster award, 3rd position, 14th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease &
Nutrition (ASCODD) 28 th November -1 st December, 2017, Kochi, India.
Selected publications
1) Palit P, Gazi MA, Das S, Hasan MM, Noor Z, Ferdous J, Alam MA, Nuzhat S, Islam MR, Mahfuz M, Haque R, Ahmed T. Exploratory Analysis of Selected Components of the mTOR Pathway Reveals Potentially Crucial Associations with Childhood Malnutrition. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 12;14(8):1612. doi: 10.3390/nu14081612. PMID: 35458174; PMCID:PMC9031007.
2) Palit P, Chowdhury FT, Baruah N, Sarkar B, Mou SN, Kamal M, Siddiqua TJ, Noor Z*, Ahmed T. A Comprehensive Computational Investigation into the Conserved Virulent Proteins of Shigella species Unveils Potential Small-Interfering RNA Candidates as a New Therapeutic Strategy against Shigellosis. Molecules. 2022; 27(6):1936.
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27061936
3) Palit P, Das R, Haque MA, Hasan MM, Noor Z, Mahfuz M, Faruque ASG, Ahmed T. Risk Factors for Norovirus Infections and Their Association with Childhood Growth: Findings from a Multi-Country Birth Cohort Study. Viruses. 2022; 14(3):647. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14030647
4) Rashid H, Siddiqua TJ, Hossain B, Siddique A, Kabir M, Noor Z, Alam M, Ahmed M, Haque R. MicroRNA Expression and Intestinal Permeability in Children Living in a Slum Area of Bangladesh. Front Mol Biosci. 2021 Dec 8;8:765301. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.765301. PMID: 34957214; PMCID: PMC8692878.
5) Gazi MA, Das S, Siddique MA, Alam MA, Fahim SM, Hasan MM, Hossaini F, Kabir MM, Noor Z, Haque R, Mahfuz M, Ahmed T. Plasma Kynurenine to Tryptophan Ratio Is Negatively Associated with Linear Growth of Children Living in a Slum of Bangladesh: Results from a Community-Based Intervention Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Nov 23. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0049. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33236707.
6) Rashid H, Hossain B, Siddiqua T, Kabir M, Noor Z, Ahmed M, Haque R. Fecal MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Screening and Diagnosis of Intestinal Diseases. Front Mol Biosci. 2020 Aug 7;7:181. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00181. PMID: 32850969; PMCID: PMC7426649.
7) Gazi MA, Das S, Mahfuz M, Hasan MM, Hossain MS, Fahim SM, Alam MA, Noor Z, Gilchrist CA, Petri WA, Rahman MM, Mazumder RN, Haque R, Sarker SA, Ahmed T. Screening for coeliac disease in children and adults living in a slum of Dhaka, Bangladesh. BMJ Open Gastroenterol. 2019 Apr 20;6(1):e000294. doi: 10.1136/bmjgast-2019-000294. PMID: 31139429; PMCID: PMC6506126.
8) Watanabe K, Gilchrist CA, Uddin MJ, Burgess SL, Abhyankar MM, Moonah SN, Noor Z, Donowitz JR, Schneider BN, Arju T, Ahmed E, Kabir M, Alam M, Haque R, Pramoonjago P, Mehrad B, Petri WA Jr. Microbiome-mediated neutrophil recruitment via CXCR2 and protection from amebic colitis. PLoS Pathog. 2017 Aug 17;13(8):e1006513. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006513. PMID: 28817707; PMCID: PMC5560520.
9) Noor Z, Watanabe K, Abhyankar MM, Burgess SL, Buonomo EL, Cowardin CA, Petri WA Jr. Role of Eosinophils and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Interleukin-25-Mediated Protection from Amebic Colitis. mBio. 2017 Feb 28;8(1):e02329-16. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02329-16. PMID: 28246365; PMCID: PMC5347349.
10) Abhyankar MM, Noor Z, Tomai MA, Elvecrog J, Fox CB, Petri WA Jr. Nanoformulation of synergistic TLR ligands to enhance vaccination against Entamoeba histolytica. Vaccine. 2017 Feb 7;35(6):916-922. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.12.057. Epub 2017 Jan 12. PMID: 28089548; PMCID: PMC5301946.
11) Burgess SL, Saleh M, Cowardin CA, Buonomo E, Noor Z, Watanabe K, Abhyankar M, Lajoie S, Wills-Karp M, Petri WA Jr. Role of Serum Amyloid A, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor, and Bone Marrow Granulocyte-Monocyte Precursor Expansion in Segmented Filamentous Bacterium-Mediated Protection from Entamoeba histolytica. Infect Immun. 2016 Sep 19;84(10):2824-32. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00316-16. PMID: 27456830; PMCID: PMC5038085.
12) Cowardin CA, Jackman BM, Noor Z, Burgess SL, Feig AL, Petri WA Jr. Glucosylation Drives the Innate Inflammatory Response to Clostridium difficile Toxin A. Infect Immun.2016 Jul 21;84(8):2317-2323. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00327-16. PMID: 27271747; PMCID:PMC4962640.
13) Noor Z, Burgess SL, Watanabe K, Petri WA Jr. Interleukin-25 Mediated Induction of Angiogenin-4 Is Interleukin-13 Dependent. PLoS One. 2016 Apr 8;11(4):e0153572. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153572. PMID: 27089535; PMCID: PMC4835063.
14) Burgess SL, Buonomo E, Carey M, Cowardin C, Naylor C, Noor Z, Wills-Karp M, Petri WA Jr. Bone marrow dendritic cells from mice with an altered microbiota provide interleukin 17A-dependent protection against Entamoeba histolytica colitis. mBio. 2014 Nov 4;5(6):e01817. doi: 10.1128/mBio.01817-14. PMID: 25370489; PMCID: PMC4222101.
15) Barroso L, Abhyankar M, Noor Z, Read K, Pedersen K, White R, Fox C, Petri WA Jr, Lyerly D. Expression, purification, and evaluation of recombinant LecA as a candidate for anamebic colitis vaccine. Vaccine. 2014 Feb 26;32(10):1218-24. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.06.056. Epub 2013 Jul 1. PMID: 23827311; PMCID: PMC3883878.
16) Madan R, Guo X, Naylor C, Buonomo EL, Mackay D, Noor Z, Concannon P, Scully KW, Pramoonjago P, Kolling GL, Warren CA, Duggal P, Petri WA Jr. Role of leptin-mediated colonic inflammation in defense against Clostridium difficile colitis. Infect Immun. 2014 Jan;82(1):341-9. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00972-13. Epub 2013 Oct 28. PMID: 24166957; PMCID: PMC3911837.
17) Duggal P, Guo X, Haque R, Peterson KM, Ricklefs S, Mondal D, Alam F, Noor Z, Verkerke HP, Marie C, Leduc CA, Chua SC Jr, Myers MG Jr, Leibel RL, Houpt E, Gilchrist CA, Sher A, Porcella SF, Petri WA Jr. A mutation in the leptin receptor is associated with Entamoeba histolytica infection in children. J Clin Invest. 2011 Mar;121(3):1191-8. doi:10.1172/JCI45294. PMID: 21393862; PMCID: PMC3049405.
18) Taniuchi M, Verweij JJ, Noor Z, Sobuz SU, Lieshout Lv, Petri WA Jr, Haque R, Houpt ER. High throughput multiplex PCR and probe-based detection with Luminex beads for seven intestinal parasites. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Feb;84(2):332-7. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0461. PMID: 21292910; PMCID: PMC3029193.
19) Thomas TA, Mondal D, Noor Z, Liu L, Alam M, Haque R, Banu S, Sun H, Peterson KM. Malnutrition and helminth infection affect performance of an interferon gamma-release assay. Pediatrics. 2010 Dec;126(6):e1522-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-0885. Epub 2010 Nov 8. PMID: 21059723; PMCID: PMC3403682.
20) Haque R, Kabir M, Noor Z, Rahman SM, Mondal D, Alam F, Rahman I, Al Mahmood A, Ahmed N, Petri WA Jr. Diagnosis of amebic liver abscess and amebic colitis by detection of Entamoeba histolytica DNA in blood, urine, and saliva by a real-time PCR assay. J Clin Microbiol. 2010 Aug;48(8):2798-801. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00152-10. Epub 2010 Jun 9. PMID: 20534800; PMCID: PMC2916621.