Dr. Nilufar Nahar, born in 1951, stands as a prominent figure in the field of chemistry, with a distinguished career rooted at the University of Dhaka (DU), where she was a Professor in the Department of Chemistry. Her extensive tenure at DU spanned four decades: from Lecturer (1976-82) to Assistant Professor (1982-89), Associate Professor (1989-93), and finally Professor (1993-2018). Dr. Nahar's educational journey is marked by academic achievements, culminating in a Ph.D. in Chemistry (1987) and a M.Sc. in Chemistry (1985) from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden. Prior to her studies abroad, she completed her 1st M.Sc. (1972) and B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry at the University of Dhaka.
Her research focuses on anticancer, antidiabetic and anti-HIV plant extracts and endophytic fungal extracts, food and environmental chemistry, pesticides residue analysis, persistent organic pollutants, plant polysaccharides, and dietary fibers. This dedication to research has resulted in more than 170 publications in peer-reviewed journals and over 200 conference papers. Furthermore, she has supervised many post-graduate students, guiding 19 Ph.D., 12 M. Phil., over 200 M.Sc., and over 50 undergraduate research students.
Dr. Nahar has served as a short-time visiting scientist at prestigious US institutions, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Frederick, Maryland, for anticancer research, and Shaman Pharmaceutical Inc. in South San Francisco, where she planned antidiabetic testing methodologies on medicinal plants. Her contributions have earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including the Justice Ibrahim Memorial Gold Medal in 2016 for research contributions and the Outstanding Scientist Award in 1999 from BCBNA (Bangladesh Chemical and Biological Society of North America). An active member of the global scientific community, she is a National Representative of IUPAC (Division VII: Chemistry and Human Health) and a Fellow of IUPAC since 2006, continuing to influence chemistry and research both in Bangladesh and internationally.