DEBENDRA NATH ROY, PH.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Jashore University of Science and Technology

Early Life and Education

Dr. Debendra Nath Roy was born on February 1, 1984, in Bangladesh. From an early age, he demonstrated a strong passion for science and learning, which guided his pursuit of a career in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. He completed his secondary and higher secondary education with distinction and later enrolled in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Rajshahi, one of the leading institutions in Bangladesh for pharmaceutical and biological sciences.

Dr. Roy obtained his Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree in 2008 with First Class honors. He then completed his Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) in 2009, also securing First Class distinction. His postgraduate research laid a foundation for his later academic pursuits in public health and health economics.

In 2025, Dr. Roy was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. His doctoral thesis was titled:

“Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination in Bangladesh: A Nexus Between Students’ Willingness and Public Health Education.”

His Ph.D. research integrated concepts from health economics, epidemiology, and education, focusing on behavioral insights and sociopsychological determinants influencing vaccine acceptance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Academic Background

Dr. Debendra Nath Roy joined the Department of Pharmacy, Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST), Bangladesh, as a Lecturer on December 19, 2010. After demonstrating excellence in teaching, research, and academic leadership, he was promoted to Assistant Professor on February 8, 2014, a position he continues to hold.

Throughout his academic career at JUST, Dr. Roy has been actively involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, mentoring young researchers, and contributing to curriculum development in pharmaceutical and health sciences. His dedication to integrating health education, public health awareness, and evidence-based research has positioned him as a respected scholar and educator in his field.

Research Focus and Interests

Dr. Roy’s research primarily spans across interdisciplinary fields linking pharmacy, health economics, public health, and epidemiology. His core research interests include:

  • Health Economics and Policy Analysis

  • Public Health and Epidemiology

  • Education and Health Promotion

  • Clinical Pharmacology

  • Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance Studies

  • COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Behavioral Research

His scholarly work often explores the psychological, sociocultural, and educational determinants of health behavior—especially during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major Contributions

Dr. Roy has made significant contributions to understanding the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy at both national and global levels. His studies have been widely recognized for providing actionable insights into public health education, vaccine confidence, and policy formulation in Bangladesh.

Some of his notable contributions include:

  • Conducting cross-sectional studies assessing vaccine hesitancy among students, healthcare professionals, and rural communities.

  • Publishing systematic reviews and comparative analyses on vaccine acceptance patterns across different populations.

  • Advancing research in public health education’s role in shaping behavioral responses to health crises.

  • Serving as a peer reviewer for prestigious international journals, including The Lancet Regional Health, Vaccine, Scientific Reports, BMC Public Health, and PLOS ONE.

His academic work has contributed to a better understanding of the public health behavior nexus—a crucial area for developing effective health communication and vaccination strategies.

Publications and Research Papers

Dr. Roy has published 30 peer-reviewed research articles in internationally reputed journals, including Vaccine, PLOS ONE, Heliyon, Epidemiology & Infection, Psychology in the Schools, Scientific Reports, BMC Public Health, and F1000Research.

Publications and Research Papers

A. COVID-19 and Public Health Research

  1. Roy, D. N., Rashid, M., Aktar, A., Parvin, M. S., & Islam, M. E. (2025). Potential predictors of COVID-19 booster vaccine confidence among adult people: A cross-sectional analysis amid the Omicron surge in Southern Bangladesh. Vaccine, 64, 127693.

  2. Roy, D. N., Mondal, P., Hossain, M. M., Azam, M. S., & Islam, E. (2024). Comparative analysis of COVID-19 vaccine booster dose (VBD) acceptance among trainees and students of health professions in Bangladesh. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 30, 101785.

  3. Roy, D. N., Ferdiousi, N., Hossen, M. M., Islam, E., & Azam, M. S. (2024). Global disparities in COVID-19 vaccine booster dose (VBD) acceptance and hesitancy: An updated narrative review. Vaccine: X, 100480.

  4. Roy, D. N., Azam, M. S., & Islam, E. (2024). Expressed preferences for public health education of students during COVID-19 vaccination intervention: A cross-sectional comparative study. Discover Education, 3(1), 1–2.

  5. Roy, D. N., Islam, E., Hossen, M. M., Ferdiousi, N., & Azam, M. S. (2024). Sociopsychological determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among the students of higher secondary schools in rural Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study. Psychology in the Schools, 61(2), 568–581.

  6. Roy, D. N., Ali, S., Sarker, A. K., Islam, E., & Azam, M. S. (2023). Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine booster dose among the people of Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study. Heliyon, 9(11).

  7. Roy, D. N., Tanvir, M. R., Pallab, M. F., Ferdiousi, N., Islam, E., & Azam, M. S. (2023). Potential determinants of childhood COVID-19 vaccine confidence among primary school stakeholders in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study to assess the effects of education. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12(1), 420.

  8. Roy, D. N., Azam, M. S., & Islam, E. (2023). Multi-dimensional potential factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine booster acceptance and hesitancy among the university academic community in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional comparative study. PLOS ONE, 18(4), e0281395.

  9. Roy, D. N., Azam, M. S., Biswas, M., & Islam, E. (2022). Potential factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among university students in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional comparative study. Epidemiology & Infection, 1–20.

  10. Roy, D. N., Hossen, M. M., Biswas, M., Islam, E., & Azam, M. S. (2022). Prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in students: A global systematic review. F1000Research, 11(928), 928.

  11. Roy, D. N., Biswas, M., Islam, E., & Azam, M. S. (2022). Potential factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 17(3), e0265496.

  12. Roy, D. N., Huda, M. N., & Azam, M. S. (2022). Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among rural communities in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional survey-based study. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 1–9.

  13. Roy, D. N., Hossen, M., Ferdiousi, N., & Azam, M. (2022). Potential factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among Bangladeshi people: A cross-sectional study. VirusDisease, 1–10.

  14. Roy, D. N., & Azam, M. (2021). An approach to integrate patient, pharmacist, and quack physician in managing COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A cloud-based health management system. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 13(2).

  15. Roy, D. N., Ferdiousi, N., Aktar, A., & Hossain, M. (2020). Changing faces of organs’ pathophysiology in ACE-2 bonded SARS-CoV-2 infection: What says the recent literature? International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 13(2).

  16. Biswas, M., & Roy, D. N. (2021). Potential clinically significant drug–drug interactions of hydroxychloroquine used in the treatment of COVID-19. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 75(11), e14710.

B. Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Biological Sciences

    1. Afroz Shoily, M. S., Islam, M. E., Rasel, N. M., Parvin, S., Barmon, J., Hasan Aqib, A., Nath Roy, D., & Parvin, M. S. (2025). Unveiling the biological activities of Heliotropium indicum L. plant extracts: Anti-inflammatory activities, GC–MS analysis, and in-silico molecular docking. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 3285.

    2. Sarkar, K. K., Mitra, T., Rahman, M. A., Raja, I. M., Aktaruzzaman, M., Abid, M. A., Zilani, M. N., & Roy, D. N. (2022). In vivo bioactivities of Hoya parasitica (Wall.) and in silico study against cyclooxygenase enzymes. BioMed Research International, 2022(1), 1331758.

    3. Mohaimenul, M. D., Dutta, K. A., Ferdiousi, N. O., & Nath Roy, D. (2020). Comparative studies on antidiabetic, analgesic, and cytotoxic effects of ethanolic extracts of Amaranthus gangeticus L. and Alternanthera sessilis L. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 7, 113–117.

    4. Roy, D. N. (2018). Acid sensing ion channels (ASICs): Potential targets for the discovery of novel therapeutics in disease management.

    5. Aziz, M. A., Akter, M. I., Roy, D. N., Mazumder, K., & Rana, M. S. (2018). Antioxidant and antidiarrheal activity of the methanolic extract of Microcos paniculata roots. Pharmacologyonline, 2, 31–48.

    6. Roy, D. N., Ferdiousi, N., Haque, M. U., Hossain, M., & Rajib, S. S. (2016). Current trend of utilization of new generation proton pump inhibitors in gastric disorders among people in Jessore city, Bangladesh. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, 6(9), 153–156.

    7. Aziz, M. A., Sarkar, K. K., Akter, M. I., Kabir, A. L., & Roy, D. N. (2016). Assessment of neuropharmacological activities of Borassus flabellifer L. roots. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 5(5), 252–256.

    8. Aziz, M. A., Sarkar, K. K., & Roy, D. N. (2015). Acute toxicity study and evaluation of anti-inflammatory and CNS depressant activities of Richardia scabra. Pharmacologyonline, 3, 70–75.

    9. Biswas, M., Roy, D. N., Rahman, M. M., Islam, M., Parvez, G. M., Haque, M. U., Shahriar, A. A., Ahmed, M. S., & Niloy, S. I. (2015). Doctors’ prescribing trends of antibiotics for outpatients in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional health survey conducted in three districts. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 6(2), 669–675.

    10. Biswas, M., Roy, D. N., Tajmim, A., Rajib, S. S., Hossain, M., Farzana, F., & Yasmen, N. (2014). Prescription antibiotics for outpatients in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional health survey conducted in three cities. Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials, 13, 1–7.

    11. Biswas, M. O., Roy, D. N., Islam, M. O., Parvez, G. M., Rahman, M. M., Tajmim, A., Ferdiousi, N., Ali, M., & Nasim, S. M. (2014). Prevalence and nature of handwritten outpatient prescription errors in Bangladesh. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 6(5), 126–130.

    12. Biswas, M., Roy, D. N., Rahman, M. M., & Hossen, M. (2013). Medicinal plants for snake bite and sexual dysfunction in Jessore and Bagerhat districts of Bangladesh. International Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 3(4), 486–491.

    13. Bokshi, B., Zilani, M. N., Malakar, A., Roy, D. N., Shilpi, J. A., & Sadhu, S. K. (2013). Study of analgesic and antidiarrhoeal activities of Sonneratia caseolaris (Linn.) leaf and stem using different solvent systems. Indonesian Journal of Pharmacy, 253–258.

    14. Karmakar, U. K., Rahman, M. A., Roy, D. N., Sadhu, S. K., & Ali, M. E. (2011). Chemical and biological investigations of Coriandrum sativum Linn. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 2(4), 999.

Awards and Recognitions

  • Ph.D. Degree (2025) – University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

  • Peer Reviewer Recognition – Multiple international journals including Vaccine, The Lancet Regional Health, and Scientific Reports.

  • Contributions to COVID-19 Research acknowledged by academic and research communities in Bangladesh.

Professional Affiliations

  • Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST), Bangladesh.

  • Member, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, JUST.

  • Reviewer, for leading international journals such as:

    • The Lancet Regional Health

    • Vaccine and Vaccine: X

    • Scientific Reports

    • PLOS ONE

    • BMC Public Health

    • Frontiers in Public Health

    • Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health

    • Discover Public Health

    • Heliyon

    • BMC Health Services Research, among others.

DEBENDRA NATH ROY, PH.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Faculty of Biological Science and Technology