Executive Committee
Muhammad J. Habib, M.Pharm, Ph.D. is currently the Associate Dean at the College of Pharmacy, Howard University and is a tenured full Professor. With extensive experience spanning over 35 years, Dr. Habib has distinguished himself as an accomplished educator, dedicated researcher, and adept administrator. He is recognized as an ACPE-trained accreditation evaluator, bringing his expertise in assessing Pharm.D. programs across a spectrum of pharmacy schools in the United States and internationally.
Dr. Habib received a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Alberta, Canada and a post-doctoral training at the Florida A&M University, Florida. He then joined Howard University, College of Pharmacy as an Assistant Professor in 1988. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 1992. He moved to Kuwait University in 1998 as a Professor and Chairman. Dr. Habib returned to Howard University in 2000 and assumed the chairmanship of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He received several research grants from National Institute of Health (NIH), Parenteral Drug Administration, Pharmaceutical Companies and University Grants Programs which resulted in 154 publications and abstracts in peer-reviewed national and international journals. He has published books and contributed chapters in books. He continues to contribute to research as a reviewer and an editorial board member of professional journals.
Dr. Habib has long standing passion for education. He believes that education is the catalyst for change in a society and hosted numerous seminars and teachings on the importance of education and focused leadership. His vision for accessible education led him to establish a private university, the University of Scholars, in Bangladesh in 2015 where he assumed the founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees. This university stands as a beacon of opportunity, providing full scholarships and personalized tutorial programs to the underserved communities of Bangladesh.
Dr. Habib’s commitment to leadership excellence is reflected in his participation in transformative programs such as the Covey Leadership Training, Howard University’s Academic Leadership Program, and the distinguished Academic Fellows Leadership Program (ALFP) of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). Dr. Habib has been a very active member of AABPS from its inception and served as the Convener of several past successful conventions of AABPS.
Dr. Habib is married and is a proud father to three daughters.
Muhammad J. Habib,
M. Pharm., Ph.D.
Dr. Musawwir is an accomplished Clinical Pharmacist at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy – Baltimore & Eastern Shore. She holds a PharmD from Shenandoah University and a post graduate fellowship in Emergency Pharmacy by the American Society of Health System Pharmacy (ASHP). Dr. Musawwir is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS). She is a Certified Provider of Pharmaceutical Care for Patients with Diabetes, Certified in Total Nutritional Care, American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Certified Registered Immunization Provider, Medication Therapy Management, and Anticoagulation Provider.
With 20 years of experience in clinical practice along with some retail and pharmaceuticals background, Dr. Musawwir has extensive experience in population health, designing and implementing new clinical guideline-protocols and education programs to improve patient care and health outcomes. As a Heart Failure Program Clinical Specialist at UMMC, she is currently working on implementing a new heart failure education program with improved health outcomes. Also, she has developed several processes and guidelines for the handling of high-risk medication, workflow processes, and bedside clinical pharmacy service in intensive care settings as well as in ambulatory care. As a Clinical faculty of University of Maryland, Dr. Musawwir teaches Advanced Pharmacy Practice and mentors fourth year PharmD students along with PGY1 and PGY2 residents, runs clinical meetings and educational sessions, and supports research and journal publication.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Musawwir has a strong passion for community service. In her free time, she serves as a Director of Social Service at Community Compassion USA Inc., supporting homeless and needy families in Baltimore City through organizing food drives, arranging assistance for refugee resettlement, and supplying local food pantries. Dr. Musawwir enjoys reading, gardening, traveling, and most of all, spending time with her family.
Dr. Musawwir is the ad-interim Vice-President of the current Executive Committee of the AABPS.
Farzana Musawwir,
PharmD BCPS
Dr. Ashiqur Rahman is a highly accomplished financial manager, currently working at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in New Jersey, USA. He has an extensive background in financial analysis and reporting. Prior to joining Novartis USA, he held senior positions at Novartis Czech Republic and Metronic.
Dr. Rahman holds a Ph.D. in Corporate Finance from Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic, as well as a Master’s Degree in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. He completed his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a double major in Accounting and Finance at American International University Bangladesh (AIUB).
With nineteen scholarly articles published in peer-reviewed journals indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and Elsevier, Dr. Rahman is a recognized authority in his field. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Competitiveness published by Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic.
Dr. Rahman is an active member of the AABPS and helps the association with their accounting. He enjoys mentoring young graduates in their career development. In his free time, he pursues his interests in fishing, playing chess, and badminton.
Ashiqur Rahman,
Ph.D.
Dr. Lasker is a Pharmaceutical Scientist, currently working for United States Pharmacopeia (USP), Rockville, MD. He has about 30 years of experience in Analytical Chemistry that includes about 7 years in Academia at Indiana University (IU).
Dr. Lasker spent a major part of his pharmaceutical carrier with Pfizer Global Research & Development (PGRD) in Groton, Connecticut. Also, he served as Scientist in Generic Pharma, API Manufacturing/Bio-Tech Company, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs).
Dr. Lasker earned a Ph.D. in Bio-Analytical Chemistry from University of Rhode Island, an MS in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University, Indiana and an M. Sc in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has published a number of peer reviewed articles in renowned journals and delivered many presentations in organizations like ACS, Pittcon etc.
Dr. Lasker enjoys driving with his family and loves nature. In his spare time, he loves listening to podcasts from philosophers and spiritual leaders around the world.
Outside of his carrier, his passion is to serve people, community, and society. He actively participated in numerous volunteer activities with different organizations. Few are listed below:
- Served as a Board of Directors, General Secretary and Social Affair Secretary for
Huntsville Islamic Center (HIC), Huntsville, Alabama (AL).
- Founder of “Avicenna Free Medical Clinic” to provide free medical services, Huntsville, AL.
- An active member of Distress Children International providing educational and medical support to young orphans in Bangladesh.
- Actively collaborated with CAIR-AL chapter on different social and legal help for the Muslim community.
Dr. Lasker is the General Secretary of the current Executive Committee of the AABPS.
Lasker S. Lasker,
Ph.D.
Dr. Mohammad Ahsan Akbar is a distinguished pharmaceutical scientist with expertise in clinical pharmacology, pharmaceutical bioanalysis, gene-based drug delivery, and regulatory affairs. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Florida and has an impressive academic portfolio, including over 30 peer-reviewed publications and five book chapters.
Currently, Dr. Akbar serves as a Clinical Pharmacology Reviewer at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he plays a vital role in the evaluation of NDA, BLA, and IND applications. His work directly supports the advancement of drug development and regulatory science, ensuring the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products and upholding public health standards.
Before joining the FDA, Dr. Akbar held academic positions at Marshall University in the United States and the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, where he developed significant teaching and research expertise.
His academic journey began at the University of Dhaka, where he earned a B. Pharm. and an M. Pharm. in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, graduating with top honors. Throughout his career, Dr. Akbar has received numerous awards and prestigious fellowships in recognition of his commitment to pharmaceutical sciences.
An active member of the American Association of Bangladeshi Pharmaceutical Scientists (AABPS), Dr. Akbar is dedicated to advancing the field and contributing meaningfully to the scientific community. Outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys traveling and spending quality time with his family and friends.
Mohammad Ahsan Akbar,
PhD