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Home School of Public Health Research Faculty Spotlight - Dr. Shafi Bhuiyan

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Monthly Faculty Spotlight - March 2025

 

Headshot of Dr. Shafi Bhuiyan

Q&A with Dr. Shafi Bhuiyan, PhD, MBBS, MPH, MBA

Associate Professor and SBS Program Coordinator, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences

  1. What brought you to the U of M School of Public Health? 
    The opportunity for internationalization and collaboration brought me to SPH-UofM. As a global maternal and child health advocate and academic, I have recognized that Memphis faces significant challenges in improving maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. With over two decades of experience working in Japan, Thailand, Bangladesh, the USA, and Canada - I am eager to apply my expertise in MCH. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues, graduate students, local health departments, and community organizations to drive positive changes in the local healthcare system and promote the health and well-being of pregnant mothers and their families.

  2. What is the broad focus of your research? 
    My global public health research primarily focuses on maternal and child health, women’s empowerment, community health promotion, successful aging, global health equity, healthcare access, and health system strengthening, mainly using the MCH Handbook.

  3. What inspired you to pursue this particular area of research? 
    At SPH-UofM, my research focuses on piloting the MCH Handbook, a two-way communication tool empowering women and families. Initially developed in Japan, this home-based record system is now used in over 39 countries, ensuring continuity of care and improving maternal and child health. In collaboration with the Shelby County Health Department, we aim to implement the MCH Handbook in the Mid-South region of Tennessee, with the potential for nationwide expansion.

  4. What is the most exciting project you are currently working on? 
    I am collaborating with multiple stakeholders and my doctoral students to develop a pilot version of the MCH Handbook tailored to Memphis. This includes conducting a needs assessment to evaluate effective maternity and childcare practices that support the health and well-being of pregnant women and their families.

  5. How does your research impact or benefit the broader community or public health field? And how do you envision your research evolving in the next few years? 
    The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook supports the continuum of maternal and child healthcare by providing families and providers with essential information on pregnancy, delivery, and childcare. Initially developed in Japan after World War II, the handbook has been adapted globally to reflect local cultural and social contexts. Tailored by multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, it is a vital family-centered tool, often acting as the primary healthcare guide in underserved communities. Currently, we are developing and field-testing the MCH Handbook in Shelby County, Memphis, with plans for statewide expansion in Tennessee to enhance maternal healthcare access and continuity of care.

  6. What is the coolest training or program you've been a part of, or your favorite conference you've attended? 
    The JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship, funded by the Government of Japan, is a highly competitive program with a 10% success rate, supporting international research collaboration. From 2007 to 2009, I received a research grant to pilot and field-test the MCH Handbook in Bangladesh, drawing insights from Japan to empower women and families. The findings were published in the International Health Development Journal and featured in Keizai Shimbun.

    Since 2001, I have organized and co-chaired international conferences on the Maternal and Child Health Handbook in multiple countries, including Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Most recently, in 2022, I led an event at the University of Toronto, attended by over 750 participants from 50 countries and honored by the presence of a Japanese Princess.

  7. What is your favorite self-authored manuscript? 
    Bhuiyan, S. Development of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) handbook digital application to promote MCH services: No one left behind to address SDGs. The University of Toronto Medical Journal 2020; 97(2).

  8. What kind of research would you like to be doing that you haven't yet had the opportunity to do? 
    Since 2001, I have worked on the development and global implementation of the Maternal and Child Health Handbook. Now at SPH-UofM in Memphis, I am exploring the digital MCH handbook/APPs- low-cost digital solutions to enhance healthcare access via mobile devices.

  9. Are there any publications, awards, or recognitions you would like us to include in the spotlight? 
    In Spring 2025, the UofM awarded me the CoRS Partnership Team Grant to develop the "MCH Handbook – Memphis Edition," the first of its kind in the USA. It is a great honor to lead this project as Principal Investigator, alongside Co-PI Dr. Michelle Taylor, Director of the Shelby County Health Department, and a dedicated team of colleagues and doctoral students.