Zareen Tasnim

I am a Doctoral Researcher in the Lifecourse Medicine and Birth Cohort Research Group at the Clinical Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu. My doctoral research examines the multidimensional effects of preterm birth on health across the lifecourse. Specifically, I investigate how preterm birth as an early-life exposure influences mental and neurodevelopmental health, metabolic traits, and cardiovascular function at different stages of life, within the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework.

My work comprises three independent studies based on data from the IMPROVE PRETERM consortium (EU), the MINIMat trial (Bangladesh), and the HeSVA–NTNU birth cohorts (Finland and Norway). These studies integrate data from birth cohorts, clinical trials, and national health registers, spanning diverse socioeconomic and healthcare contexts.

My research interests include lifecourse epidemiology, DOHaD, adverse birth outcomes—such as preterm birth, very low birth weight (VLBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and small vulnerable newborns (SVN)—as well as global health with a focus on low-resource settings. I also have broader interests in public health, health economic evaluation, and disease burden research.