The department is led by Professor Abdul Basit and Prof. Rubina Hakeem.

Prof. Abdul Basit (Director – BIDE) is also an honorary research associate of Nottingham University. The research department has valuable support of BIDE consultants who have been participating in the departmental activities and giving their precious time and advice to the research department for conducting studies. Diet and Education department of BIDE has also been actively participating in the research activities.

So far, twenty students have enrolled in the M.Phil/PhD and MD Programmes.

• So far, 68 studies have been published in various international and national indexed journals.
• The department explored an important area of child health by assessing school children for various anthropometric and biochemical risk factors to draw attention on childhood obesity.
• In the year 2002, prevalence of diabetes survey was done by the research department in the area of Hub Baluchistan. The same geographical area was again explored in 2009-2010 to see the current status of diabetes and its associated risk factors.
• Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and associated risk factors was assessed in an epidemiological study through geographical imaging system in Lyari town of Karachi, Pakistan.
• BIDE is also a pioneer in collecting and publishing data on diabetic foot from Pakistan, following aspects of diabetic foot were explored;
  • Prevalence of diabetic foot ulcer.
  • Factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer.
  • Outcome and presentation of diabetic foot ulcer.
  • Economic burden of diabetic foot ulcer.
• Research department of BIDE is maintaining an electronic database of patients with diabetes on a specialized health care software (HMS). So far data of around 12,000 patients with diabetes and more than 2000 patients with diabetic foot have been explored in the following areas:
  • The presentation of patients with diabetes at a tertiary care unit.
  • The prevalence of acute and chronic complications of diabetes.
  • Association of glycemic control and hypertension with chronic complications of diabetes.
  • The annual incidences of chronic complications in yearly follow up.
• A prospective study was conducted to observe the effects of active glucose monitoring, alteration of drug dosage and timing, dietary counseling and patient education in the occurrence of acute diabetic complications in fasting diabetic individuals during the month of Ramadan in the year 2010.