Focus
Implementation science. Lifestyle and biological basis of cardiovascular diseases. Environment and health.
Biography
Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury, an internationally-renowned educator and researcher, is the chair of the Department of Global Health at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work (FIU Stempel College).
Before joining FIU Stempel College as a tenured professor, Dr. Chowdhury worked at the University of Cambridge and University of Exeter in England, as an Associate Professor and full Professor of Global Health, respectively. He currently also serves as a Senior Collaborator in the Global Burden of Disease Initiative and as a member of the Expert Panel at the World Cancer Research Fund International.
Dr. Chowdhury’s research interests broadly involve characterizing: a) what causes high burden diseases (e.g., cancer, cardiometabolic, neurological and neglected tropical diseases such as dengue); b) how behavioural (e.g., diet), social, and biological factors could drive these conditions; and c) how implementation research can bridge the gap between such etiological evidence and their effective practice and policy translation in the U.S. and worldwide. Dr. Chowdhury’s 150+ scientific publications have received >150,000 citations so far (his latest publication H-index is 90) and have informed multiple global guidelines. His work has received significant media attention, appearing in top-tier outlets like The New York Times, CNN and BBC.
Dr. Chowdhury was elected a Fellow of the UK Royal Society of Medicine in 2022, a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology in 2021, a Fellow of the UK Royal Society for Public Health in 2011, and a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology in 2016. In 2013, he received the Bill Gates Senior Award in Cambridge University for contributions to global health, and in 2023, he received the Velji/Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Faculty Award for Global Health Innovation. In 2024, he was included in the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List as one of the most influential researchers globally.
Academically, Dr. Chowdhury has received a broad range of academic training and experience in global health epidemiology, global public health and implementation science. He holds doctoral and master degrees in Public Health and Epidemiology, respectively, from the University of Cambridge, where he had the titles of Commonwealth Scholar and Gates Cambridge Scholar. Dr. Chowdhury also received advanced academic training in Global Health at the Harvard and Johns Hopkins Schools of Public Health, in Global Epidemiology at the Imperial College London, and in Clinical Trials at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.