As a pediatrician with special interest in infectious disease epidemiology and public health, Dr. Bassat has attempted to combine his clinical work with biomedical research in those diseases that most affect the poor and vulnerable.

His main area of interest has been the prevention and treatment of malaria in childhood, with a particular focus on understanding the clinical overlap of malaria and other common pediatric conditions. His research has also covered the new paradigm of malaria eradication, with a particular interest in evaluating the role of drugs in elimination strategies.

He has also conducted work on the description of the epidemiology and etiology of respiratory infections (viral and bacterial), diarrheal diseases, and neonatal infections in places such as Mozambique, Morocco or Bhutan. He has also studied Yaws, a neglected tropical skin disease, advancing on the science of its potential eradication.