Senjuti Saha

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Senjuti Saha
Saha in 2026
Born
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Alma materUniversity of Toronto
Known forGenome sequencing of SARS-CoV2 in Bangladesh
AwardsFull list
Scientific career
FieldsMolecular genetics, microbiology, epidemiology
InstitutionsChild Health Research Foundation (CHRF)

Senjuti Saha is a Bangladeshi scientist, serving as the Deputy Executive Director at the Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF). [1] Her research focuses on infectious diseases, genomic epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and public health in low-resource settings. Currently, she directs multiple comprehensive studies, including projects on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, single-cell genomics, neonatal sepsis, and genomics for tackling antimicrobial resistance. Her research not only addresses the needs of low-resource settings but also informs global health strategies. Dr. Saha also founded and leads Building Scientists for Bangladesh, [2] a country-wide initiative that reflects her commitment to building scientific capacity and promoting trust in science.


Biography and education

Saha was raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her father Dr. Samir Kumar Saha is a microbiologist and her mother Dr. Setarunnahar Setara is a public health researcher. Senjuti Saha finished high school in Bangladesh.[3] After her A-Levels, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry at the University of Toronto. She then received her PhD from the same institute. [4]

Career

Senjuti Saha started her career as a post-doctoral research fellow at The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada and Stanford University, USA. She was also appointed as a post-doctoral researcher at the Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF) in Bangladesh. In 2019, she joined CHRF as scientist. Currently, she is serving as the Deputy Executive Director at CHRF.

Research contributions

Saha returned to Bangladesh to work on the frontlines of public health and establish a state-of-the-art genomics center. Her groundbreaking work has advanced genomic epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research, with notable contributions to understanding resistance patterns in typhoid, paratyphoid, and Klebsiella infections.

In 2020, Senjuti Saha and her team decoded the genome sequence of SARS-CoV2 in Bangladesh. [5] Prior to that, she had performed an unbiased metagenomic sequence analysis to show a correlation between pediatric meningitis and Chikungunya virus outbreak in Bangladesh.[6]

Her studies generated critical evidence that facilitated the introduction of the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in Bangladesh in 2025.

Publications


Full Publication list

Awards

  • 2022: Highlighted by The Lancet as one of the top 10 researchers worldwide [10]


References

  1. "Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF)". chrfbd.org. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  2. "Building Scientists for Bangladesh". chrfbd.org. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  3. একজন সেঁজুতির বিজ্ঞানী হয়ে ওঠা. sarabangla.net (in Bengali). 24 May 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  4. "Senjuti Saha". University of Toronto: School of Graduate Studies. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  5. Saha, Senjuti; et al. (11 June 2020). "Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Isolate from Bangladesh". Microbiol Resour Announc. 9 (24). doi:10.1128/MRA.00568-20. PMC 7291105. PMID 32527780.
  6. Saha, Senjuti; et al. (17 December 2019). "Unbiased Metagenomic Sequencing for Pediatric Meningitis in Bangladesh Reveals Neuroinvasive Chikungunya Virus Outbreak and Other Unrealized Pathogens". mBio. 10 (6) e02877-19. doi:10.1128/mBio.02877-19. PMC 6918088. PMID 31848287.
  7. ডেস্ক, প্রথম আলো (2026-05-13). "মর্যাদাপূর্ণ 'রাইজিং স্টার অ্যাওয়ার্ড' নিলেন সেঁজুতি সাহা". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 2026-05-16.
  8. "4 women, nat'l women's football team receive Bangamata Padak". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
  9. "The Asian Scientist 100". Asian Scientist. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  10. "Bangladeshi scientist recognised by Lancet". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
  11. "Heroes in the Field: Drs. Samir and Senjuti Saha are working to close the gap in healthcare delivery". Retrieved 2026-05-23.