Recent PhD Graduate in Public Health
University of South Carolina
Fahmida Akter holds a PhD in Public Health from the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. She earned her Master’s degree in Psychology with highest honors from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, specializing in advanced child and adolescent development, and also holds a second Master’s in Business Administration.
Fahmida brings nearly 10 years of experience in mixed-methods research at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), where her work focused on psychosocial stimulation interventions, nutrition, responsive parenting, childhood maltreatment, maternal mental health, cognitive behavioral therapy, and environmental health. She has also delivered training at both national and international levels on a range of psychological and child development assessment tools.
As a graduate research assistant, she led the process evaluation of the Mother and Child Benefit Program (MCBP) in Bangladesh and conducted implementation research to assess its sustainability and scalability. Her doctoral research focused on Perinatal Maternal Attachment in Bangladesh: Understanding Determinants and Impacts of Enhanced Nutrition and Cash Transfers. Her broader research interest lies in evaluating risk factors for child development and understanding how integrated, evidence-based programs can be successfully implemented and scaled to improve developmental outcomes for children while supporting maternal well-being.