Shahed Murad: Medical Researcher and Artist
A passion for knowledge, boundless curiosity and a drive to inspire those around him formed the cornerstones of Shahed Murad's life. Born in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, the young Shahed read voraciously, having developed a desire to acquire knowledge from the source; something that would become a pivotal philosophy throughout his life. He soaked up everything from literature and poetry to archeology and history. An unusually gifted and free spirited child, Shahed developed a world view that would later see him continually focus on contributing to society, art and science.
His interest in mathematics was also formed in his youth – he went on to complete his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in statistics and biostatistics from the University of Dhaka and the University of London respectively. He worked as a biostatistician at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh and the leading Universities in the UK. He is described by the University College London as an extremely accomplished medical statistician with an inherent attention to detail, performing well above the level which was expected of him.
Creativity and the arts are as key to Shahed as his professional work. Dance is among his biggest artistic passions and in 1993 he founded the Indian Dance Society (IDS), leading the group as Artistic Director. The IDS started life at the University of London Union (ULU) and subsequently went on to gain national and international reputation for its innovative and cutting edge dance performances. Under Shahed’s direction, the IDS conducted classes in Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Ballet dance forms for many years, with teachers trained from the Kathak Kendra India, Bhavan Centre, London and the Royal Ballet School, UK. Some of the IDS trained dance students succeeded in becoming professional dancers. These achievements led Shahed to be elected as the Honorary Life Member of the ULU.
Shahed took part in the theatrical productions of the Bhavan Centre, London. He served on various sub-committees of Bhavan, where he conceptualised and designed a number of cultural programmes, a highlight being the celebration of the Bengali year, 1400. He also designed the cultural programme for the International Gita Conference held at the Harrow Leisure Centre in 1994.
Shahed's success is driven by his love of inspiring others; he would often see potential in people that they were yet to spot themselves. Many people have benefited from his generosity with his time and skills. He has scant regard for social and religious divisions and differences, befriending people from all walks of life with ease. Shahed is considered to be quirky and unique, indeed those around him embrace his eccentricity and enjoy his humour and sense of fun. Never a conventionalist, he takes joy in the simple things in nature, like the cherry blossom in spring, and pours as much energy and zeal into his hobbies of cooking and interior design as he does into his work.
This website intends to highlight some of Shahed’s work and to continue to fulfill Shahed's passion of inspiring others.