May 7, 2025 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu

Fahmida Akter graduates this month with a Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) and her priorities are clear: a lifelong connection to USC and an unwavering commitment to improving health, particularly for women and children, in low-resource settings. Akter’s upbringing in Bangladesh made her acutely aware of how certain conditions could impact people’s health and well-being.

“Their health and quality of life were often compromised – not because of lack of will, but because of lack of resources,” she says. “These experiences left a lasting impression on me. I felt a strong personal desire to contribute in some way to improving people’s lives. I didn’t have all the answers, but I knew I wanted to be part of a solution.”

Curious about the role of human behavior and lifestyle factors, Akter studied psychology at the University of Dhaka – earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the subject and gaining a better understanding of the connections between behavior, environment and health. She also completed a Master of Business Administration at Daffodil International University before joining the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh as a field research supervisor. Akter remained with the center for more than a decade, working her way up to senior research officer.

“For the first time, I was part of real-world research projects – evaluating interventions that aimed to improve maternal mental health, early childhood development, and nutrition in underserved communities,” she says. “I realized that lasting change begins with supporting the earliest stages of life, and this drew me toward pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health, with a focus on maternal and child health in low-resource settings.”

Recommended by her professional network, the Arnold School rose to the top of Akter’s list because of its strong reputation and commitment to addressing public health challenges in both local and global contexts. She was also attracted to the emphasis on community-based, interdisciplinary research, dedication to addressing health disparities, and welcoming environment toward international students.

During her program, the Norman J. Arnold Doctoral Fellow developed expertise in childhood development, maternal mental health and integrated nutrition interventions in low-resource settings. She is particularly interested 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. Underlying this work is Akter’s desire to translate her research into real-world applications (known as implementation science). 

For her dissertation project, Akter traveled to Bangladesh to conduct a randomized trial of pregnant women to better understand the effects of cash transfers and enhanced nutrition on perinatal attachment. This work, which was conducted in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute and resulted in three manuscripts, sheds light on the importance of attachment in early life and how to support mothers in achieving optimal attachment with their child. 

HPEB faculty Leila Larson and Edward Frongillo played major roles in Akter’s progression through her doctoral studies, along with many other faculty members whose teaching, feedback and informal mentorship have contributed to her academic and professional growth.

“Dr. Larson has been a constant source of inspiration and guidance, and her deep commitment to maternal and child health research and her expertise in global health have helped shape my research approach and sharpen my analytical thinking,” Akter says. “Dr. Frongillo has been instrumental in broadening my perspective on public health. His breadth of knowledge in implementation science and nutrition has taught me to think critically and beyond conventional approaches.”

Akter’s time at USC also benefited from a tight-knit cohort and a supportive collegial departmental environment (she credits the outgoing chair Daniela Friedman as being the glue that brings faculty and students together and creating a space where everyone feels valued and connected). As a city, Columbia has offered an active, yet well-paced setting, with a thriving Bangladeshi community and plenty of access to nature. These experiences and connections – along with her doctoral training and research/field experience – have prepared Akter to address complex public health challenges through both research and policy development.

“For students considering a public health program, especially at the Arnold School, I would encourage them to come in with both curiosity and a sense of purpose,” she says. “Public health is a broad and dynamic field, and having clarity about your interests, whether it's maternal and child health, environmental health, epidemiology, or something else, can help you make the most of your experience.”

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