Skip to main content

Fakir Md Yunus, Ph.D.

Fakir Md Yunus, Ph.D.
Part-time Faculty
Health and Human Performance Department

Biography

Fakir Md Yunus, Ph.D., is a public health researcher with a multidisciplinary focus on psychology, nutrition, sleep, and chronic disease prevention. Trained as a medical doctor (MBBS) in Bangladesh, he further advanced his education with an MPH from BRAC University’s James P. Grant School of Public Health, as well as an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. During his three-year Mitacs Accelerate Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Psychology at Dalhousie University, Dr. Yunus conducted research on personality traits, mental health, addiction, and injury prevention, exploring how behavioral attributes influence health outcomes.
With over a decade of experience, Dr. Yunus has developed expertise in designing, implementing, and managing Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) to address critical public health challenges. His research is dedicated to improving the physical and mental health of women and marginalized populations globally, with a particular emphasis on personality-targeted approaches to nutrition, health promotion, and the complex interplay between personality traits, sleep, and chronic disease prevention. Through his work, Dr. Yunus continues to advance global health and inspire positive change for vulnerable populations.

Education

  • MBBS, Medicine and Surgery, Mymensingh Medical College, Dhaka University
  • MPH, Public Health, James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
  • MSc and Ph.D., Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan

Publications, Presentations, and Conferences

  • Podder, R., Yunus, F. M., Munaf, N. B., Rahman, F., Khanam, F., Hawlader, M. D. H., & Vandenberg, A. (2024). Sensory Acceptability of Multiple-Micronutrient-Fortified Lentils in Bangladesh. Foods, 13(24), 4081.
  • Yunus, F. M., Jalal, C., Das, A., Afsana, K., Podder, R., Vandenberg, A., & DellaValle, D. M. (2024). Consumption of iron-fortified lentils is protective against declining iron status among adolescent girls in Bangladesh: evidence from a community-based double-blind, cluster-randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 0(0).
  • Barnett, A. L., Wenger, M. J., Yunus, F. M., Jalal, C., & DellaValle, D. M. (2023). The Effect of Iron-Fortified Lentils on Blood and Cognitive Status among Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh. Nutrients, 15(23), 5001.
  • Livet, A., Navarri, X., Pétrin Pomerleau, P., Champagne, S., Yunus, F. M., Chadi, N., McVey, G., & Conrod, P. (2023). Perfectionism in Children and Adolescents with Eating-Related Symptoms: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates. Adolescents. 3(2), 305–329.
  • Yunus, F. M., Livet, A., Mahmoud, A., Moore, M., Murphy, C. B., Nogueira-Arjona, R., Thompson, K., Keough, M. T., Krank, M. D., Conrod, P. J., & Stewart, S. H. (2022). Is Anxiety Sensitivity Associated with COVID-19 Related Distress and Adherence among Emerging Adults? Psych. 4(4), 934–951.
  • Ahmed, M., Whitfield, K., & Yunus, F.M*. (2021). Trends and predictors of early initiation, exclusive, and continued breastfeeding in Bangladesh (2004-2018): A multilevel analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data. British Journal of Nutrition, 1-29.
  • Yunus, F. M., Ahmed, S., Hossain, B., Sarker, K. K., & Khan, S. (2021). Gender variation of total sleep time and association with academic achievement among the school going adolescents: A cross-sectional study in rural Bangladesh. Sleep Epidemiology, 1(February), 100001.
  • Rabbi, S. E., Ali, M., Costa, L. C., Pradhan, P., Rahman, A., Yunus, F. M., & Kropp, J. P. (2021). Identifying climatic and non-climatic determinants of malnutrition prevalence in Bangladesh: A country-wide cross-sectional spatial analysis. Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Epidemiology, 37, 100422.
  • Yunus, F. M., Jalal, C., Zello, G. A., Afsana, K., Vandenberg, A., & DellaValle, D. M. (2021). Determination of an Acceptable Portion Size of Daal for a Bangladeshi Community-Based Iron Intervention in Adolescent Girls: A Feasibility Study. Nutrients, 13(4), 1080.
  • de Hoop, T., Fallon, S., Yunus, F. M., Munrat, S., Jolly, S. P., Sehrin, F., Aktar, B., A Ghani, R. B., & Sennett, J. (2020). Mothers’ education and the effectiveness of nutrition programmes: evidence from a matched cross-sectional study in rural Bangladesh. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 1–19.
  • Full list of publications can be found via Google Scholar

CV / Website