'Ineligible for Admission Test,' He is Now a Scientist at University Hospital Erlangen

The 'Dark Future' Boy is Now a Scientist at University Hospital Erlangen

Nature Scientific Reports is one of the world's most prestigious science journals. A study by Bangladeshi scientist Ariful Haque, as the main co-author (shared-first-author), has been published in this journal. Remarkably, this graduate of North South University achieved this milestone before even leaving the university.

His achievements did not stop there. Last month, Ariful received his doctorate from Germany's Friedrich Alexander University. From January 2021 to January 2024, he worked as a scientist at University Hospital Erlangen, a university-affiliated hospital. He joined as a postdoctoral researcher this month and is now working for the University Hospital in Charité, Berlin.

Hearing all this, one might assume that Ariful was a stellar student from the beginning, known as a genius. However, this was not the case. His parents dreamed of him becoming a doctor, but Ariful didn't even qualify to sit for the entrance examination for medical school. His real interest lay in physics. Eventually, he enrolled in the pharmacy department of North South University to fulfill his parents' wishes. Even in pharmacy, his CGPA was not impressive until his second year. His academic performance was so poor that the university authorities summoned his father. When his father was informed that "your son's future is dark," Ariful was deeply shaken.

Determined to turn things around, Ariful approached Mahbubur Rahman, a popular professor at the university. However, the list of students wanting to work under Professor Rahman was long. Even getting a chance to observe in his lab was a significant opportunity for an average student like Ariful. As a second-year student, he was finally granted permission to watch the senior students at work. He even helped by washing bottles at the end of their work sessions. Impressed by Ariful's dedication, Professor Mahbubur Rahman eventually took him under his supervision.

A Guiding Light: How a Friend Inspired the Pursuit of Research

During this challenging time, Ariful's friend, Cynthia Farin, played a crucial role in his journey. Cynthia, who is now his wife, encouraged him and reminded him of his childhood enthusiasm for participating in science fairs. She motivated him to pursue research over traditional job hunting and advised him to find a mentor who could guide him in his scientific pursuits. His mother's name is Gulshan Ara, and his father's name is Emdadul Haque.

From Struggles to Success: Ariful's Journey

Neuroscience researcher Mahbubur Rahman became Ariful's mentor, allowing this third-year student to read journals regularly and learn about international research methods. Alongside other studies, Ariful developed the 'Autism Model,' a method for testing drug efficacy by inducing autism traits in laboratory mice. Ariful also received government grants for various research projects with professors. Among his notable works is a study published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2020. This study focused on activating specific brain cells after a stroke to save dying cells. The research showed promising results with rat models, significantly reducing stroke-induced damage in mice.