About Me

Dr. Zahid A. Butt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on advancing infectious disease prevention and control, particularly in contexts where traditional approaches are insufficient such as those shaped by marginalization, co-occurring infections, bio-behavioral factors, and social inequities. His work is grounded in the concept of syndemics, a framework that examines how diseases cluster and interact within populations under the influence of broader socio-economic, environmental, and political conditions.

His research interests center on the syndemics of infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and COVID-19. He aims to identify and evaluate the determinants of these syndemics, extend the syndemic framework to include non-communicable diseases and cancers, and design and assess effective prevention strategies that address these complex and interconnected health challenges.

As a Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Research for Pandemic Preparedness, Dr. Butt focuses on strengthening responses to complex public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. He employs innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to enhance pandemic preparedness by applying a syndemic framework, leveraging digital data to address misinformation and improve disease surveillance, and examining interactions between diseases and social and structural determinants through disease mapping and spatial modeling.

More broadly, his research interests include the development and application of big data analytics, global health, and spatial epidemiology, with an emphasis on their application to public health practice. In addition, he has worked internationally in academia and the development sector, including with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

For more information about Zahid Butt, please visit the following University of Waterloo pages:

Faculty, School of Public Health Sciences: https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/zahid-butt

Public Health Research and Analytic Lab: https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-research-analytics-lab

Degrees, Employment History, Awards, and Scholarly Activities

  • PhD, Epidemiology - Michigan State University
  • MSc, Epidemiology & Biostatistics - Aga Khan University
  • MBBS - Dhaka University
  • Associate Professor, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON (July 2025 – present)
  • Assistant Professor, School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON (July 2019 – June 2025)
  • Post Doctoral Teaching Fellow, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (September 2018 – July 2019)
  • Post Doctoral Research Fellow, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (October 2015 – June 2019)
  • Associate Professor & Founding Head, Department of Public Health, Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan (June 2013 – September 2015)
  • Sr. Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan (April 2012 – March 2013)
  • Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan (October 2011 – April 2012)
  • Health Officer, Polio Eradication Initiative, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan (June 2006 – July 2007)
  • National Campaign Support Officer/Epidemiologist, Polio Eradication Initiative, World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan (January 2004 – May 2006)
  • Senior Instructor, School of Nursing and Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan (November 2002 – December 2003)
  • Outstanding Performance Award, School of Public Health Sciences, 2025
  • Expert, International Science Council 2024
  • Included in Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List 2024
  • Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Research for Pandemic Preparedness 2023
  • School of Public Health Sciences mentorship award 2022
  • The Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL) Travel Award 2020
  • The Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL) Travel Award 2019
  • CIHR Travel Award (Institute Community Support) 2018
  • Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) 2017 Young investigator Scholarship Award
  • Post Doctoral Fellow Travel Award funded by the Faculty of Medicine and the Postdoctoral Fellows Office at the University of British Columbia (2016)
  • Excellence Award for outstanding performance by the President, Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Pakistan (2015)
  • Awarded Dissertation Completion Fellowship worth US$ 6000 from the school of graduate studies at Michigan State University for research on the epidemiology of hepatitis B and C co-infection among HIV infected individuals in Michigan (2011)
  • Award (full tuition and stipend) worth US$ 250,000 for PhD in Epidemiology at Michigan State University, Michigan, United States from the Fulbright program for foreign students sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (2007 to 2011)
  • Distinction in thesis writing from the Master's program in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan (2002)

Editor / Associate Editor / Guest Editor

  • Journal of Community Systems for Health
  • BMC Public Health
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
  • Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology
  • Infectious Disease Reports
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
  • Frontiers in Climate
  • BMC Medical Research Methodology
  • Frontiers in Digital Health

Professional Society Positions

  • Member, Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER)
  • Member, International Society for Infectious Disease (ISID)
  • Member, Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL)
  • Member, International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN)
  • Member, Digital Health Canada