Jalal Uddin is a public health researcher, educator, and visionary who is deeply committed to serving underserved populations, especially in rural Bangladesh. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Health Knowledge and Research Foundation (HKRF) and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where he also earned his Master of Public Health (MPH). With a Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from Bangladesh, Jalal combines clinical practice, academic knowledge, and research expertise in his work.

From the early days of his career, Jalal was concerned about the broader community — particularly rural and neglected populations who lack access to health education and preventive care. He witnessed firsthand that many patients and their families did not have even the most basic knowledge about preventing diseases or caring for sick relatives. This realization inspired him to think beyond individual treatment and to focus on solutions at the community level.

Over the past several years, Jalal has contributed to multiple NIH-funded research projects in the United States, focusing on aging, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and health disparities related to race, ethnicity, and rural access. He has also collaborated with leading institutions: he developed an Alzheimer’s disease clinical trial curriculum for patients at Stanford University, gained valuable research experience at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health – Las Vegas, and worked with researchers at University of California, Los Angeles and other partners to address health inequities. These experiences have strengthened his understanding of how structural and social barriers prevent many people — especially those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) — from receiving the health education and care they deserve.

Motivated by these challenges, Jalal founded the Health Knowledge and Research Foundation (HKRF) to design and implement community-driven, culturally relevant, and affordable health education programs. His vision is to start from rural Bangladesh by building a community-based health education model that engages patients, families, and caregivers. Once successful, he aims to expand this model nationwide and eventually share it globally.

Through HKRF, Jalal seeks to bridge the gap between research and real-life impact, empower communities with the knowledge to prevent and manage disease, mentor young researchers and health leaders, and ensure that no one is left behind — regardless of their income or location. For him, HKRF is not just an organization but a mission to create healthier communities in Bangladesh and beyond.