Khandaker Talat Islam

Khandaker Talat Islam, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Research at the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California (USC). A dedicated environmental epidemiologist, he has been with USC since 2009 and specializes in graduate-level instruction in epidemiology and environmental health.

• Medical Doctorate from Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh
• PhD in Epidemiology from University of Southern California

Dr. Islam's research focuses on the pathogenic mechanisms connecting environmental exposures to chronic diseases. He investigates:

• Long-term respiratory impacts of childhood air pollution exposure
• Gene-environment interactions in asthma susceptibility
• Environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis
• Social stressor modifications of pollution effects
• Pregnancy outcomes linked to cook stove emissions
• Exposome-wide associations in health disparities

His publications reveal a consistent focus on:

• Environmental health impacts across life stages
• Multi-omics approaches to exposure biology
• Urban pollution and metabolic/respiratory outcomes
• Health disparities in minority populations

Scientific Recognitions:

• Fogarty International Research Scholar Development Award (2015)
• ATS Val Vallyathan Junior Investigator Award (2011)
• ATS David Bates Award (2010)
• ATS Travel Award (2008)

Dr. Islam leads the Bangladesh pregnancy cohort study and collaborates with USC neurologists on multiple sclerosis research while maintaining active teaching responsibilities in epidemiology.