Dr. Moumita D.

Dr. Das’ doctoral training emphasized advanced epidemiologic methods, biostatistics, spatial analysis of infectious diseases, population health data analysis, and grant writing. Her work integrates statistical and predictive modeling, time-series analysis, qualitative methods, and geospatial epidemiology, and she is proficient in tools, such as R, SPSS, Stata, ArcGIS, Dedoose, and Qualtrics. Her primary research focuses on rabies control, zoonotic disease surveillance, and health systems strengthening in low- and middle-income countries.

At the University of Minnesota’s Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, Dr. Das led a spatial population prediction model estimating the distribution of free-roaming dogs in Kenya. This work was supported by a $10,000 Graduate Student/Resident Internal Grant Award and contributed to high-impact publications and applied insights for rabies control planning. She has also conducted systematic reviews, field-based epidemiologic surveys with veterinary professionals in Kenya, time-series analyses of dog bite surveillance data, and stakeholder-engaged rabies control workshops.

Dr. Das has authored and co-authored 13 peer-reviewed publications. Her work has been published in journals including Pathogens, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, PLOS ONE, and Heliyon. She has presented her research at major international conferences, including the International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics and the International Conference on One Health, as well as national veterinary medical conferences. She is also an active peer reviewer for journals including PLOS ONE, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Journal of Small Animal Practice, and Public Health Challenges.

Teaching and mentorship are central to Dr. Das’ career. She previously served as an assistant professor at Sylhet Agricultural University, where she taught veterinary epidemiology, public health, bioinformatics, and veterinary jurisprudence while co-supervising Master’s students and mentoring undergraduate researchers. At the University of Minnesota, she served as a residency program teacher, supporting graduate-level learning and experiential training focused on biosecurity and public health systems. Beyond research and teaching, Dr. Das has served in multiple leadership roles, including Program Representative for the Council of Graduate Students at the University of Minnesota and General Secretary of the Bangladesh Student Association.

As a research mentor, Dr. Das is known for her structured, analytical, and highly supportive approach. She believes strong research begins with asking precise, meaningful questions and building a clear methodological roadmap. She guides students through every stage of the research process, from refining research questions and conducting systematic literature reviews to designing studies, performing statistical analyses, and preparing manuscripts for submission. Her strengths include demystifying quantitative methods, strengthening academic writing, and helping students develop confidence in presenting their work. Dr. Das emphasizes accountability, clarity, and incremental progress, ensuring that each student builds both technical competence and independent scientific thinking.

With 10 years of mentorship experience, Dr. Das’ passion for mentorship stems from her own journey navigating international research environments and interdisciplinary collaborations. She views research not only as a credential-building activity but as a process that cultivates critical thinking, intellectual rigor, and leadership in public health.