Ariful Islam

Dr Ariful Islam

Epidemiologist

Gulbali Institute

Biography

Dr Ariful Islam (Arif)  is an expert in the epidemiology and evolutionary ecology of emerging infectious diseases, with over 15 years of experience in studying viruses like henipavirus, filoviruses, coronaviruses, and avian influenza viruses. His work focuses on understanding how viruses persist in animal reservoirs and spillover to humans, particularly in the context of anthropogenic changes. Ariful applies a One Health approach, integrating viral genetics, statistical modeling, and behavioral ecology to prevent disease transmission. Currently, he is investigating how human behaviors, reservoir host dynamics, and viral genetics influence henipavirus and other bat borne viral spillovers from bats to humans and domestic animals  in  Australia and Bangladesh.

Research
  • Epidemic and Pandemic preparedness
  • Dynamics of Zoonotic viral spillover to humans and Livestock
  • Epidemiology and ecology of avian influenza viruses at wild birds-poultry-human interfaces
  • Henipavirus (Nipah, Hendra and other novel henipavirus strains)
  • Coronavirus diversity in wildlife
  • Bat and rodent borne emerging viral research
  • One Health Surveillance
  • Outbreak investigation
Publications
Full publications list on CRO

Recent Publications

  • Lasso, G., Grodus, M., Valencia, E., DeJesus, V., Liang, E., Delwel, I., Bortz, R. H., Lupyan, D., Ehrlich, H. Y., Castellanos, A. A., Gazzo, A., Wells, H. L., Wacharapluesadee, S., Tremeau-Bravard, A., Seetahal, J. F. R., Hughes, T., Lee, J., Lee, M.-H., Sjodin, A. R., ... Islam, A., … Anthony, S. J. (2025). Decoding the blueprint of receptor binding by filoviruses through large-scale binding assays and machine learning. Cell Host and Microbe. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2024.12.016
  • Lasso, G., Grodus, M., Valencia, E., DeJesus, V., Liang, E., Delwel, I., Bortz, R. H., Lupyan, D., Ehrlich, H. Y., Castellanos, A. A., Gazzo, A., Wells, H. L., Wacharapluesadee, S., Tremeau-Bravard, A., Seetahal, J. F. R., Hughes, T., Lee, J., Lee, M.-H., Sjodin, A. R., ... Islam, A., … Anthony, S. J. (2025). Decoding the blueprint of receptor binding by filoviruses through large-scale binding assays and machine learning. Cell Host and Microbe. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2024.12.01
  • slam, A., Wille, M., Rahman, M. Z., Porter, A. F., Hosaain, M. E., Hassan, M. M., … Klaassen, M. (2024). Phylodynamics of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in Bangladesh identifying domestic ducks as the amplifying host reservoir. Emerging Microbes & Infections, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2024.2399268
  • Islam, A., Munro, S., Hassan, M. M., Epstein, J. H., & Klaassen, M. (2023). The role of vaccination and environmental factors on outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 in Bangladesh. One Health, 17, 100655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100655
  • Islam, A., Ara, T., Amin, E., Islam, S., Sayeed, M. A., Shirin, T., Hassan, M. M., Klaassen, M., & Epstein, J. H. (2023). Epidemiology and Evolutionary Dynamics of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in Bangladesh. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2023(1), 8499018. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8499018