UKZN’s Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim Elected Fellow of the Royal Society
Renowned infectious diseases epidemiologist Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society – one of the highest honours a scientist can receive!
The Royal Society, established in 1660, is the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific academy. Fellowship is awarded to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the improvement of natural knowledge.
As a Fellow of the Royal Society, Abdool Karim joins the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein, who have been Fellows during the Society’s illustrious history. She also joins six other South Africans who are Fellows of the Royal Society – Wits University’s Vice-Chancellor and physicist Professor Zeblon Vilakazi; tuberculosis researcher Professor Valerie Mizrahi; epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim; chemist Professor Tebello Nyokong; physicist Professor Bernie Fanaroff, and theoretical physicist Professor George Ellis.
Abdool Karim is also Associate Scientific Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), and UKZN’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (African Health).
Her election to the Royal Society is a powerful acknowledgment of her trailblazing work in HIV prevention, particularly among young women in Africa. Her research has had far-reaching impact, informing global health policy and saving countless lives.
This latest accolade also affirms UKZN’s reputation as a centre of excellence in scientific research and innovation on the African continent.
For over three decades, Abdool Karim has played a leading role in shaping the global HIV prevention field, especially in developing prevention technologies for adolescent girls and young women. Her landmark research has demonstrated that antiretrovirals can prevent the sexual transmission of HIV, forming the foundation for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Speaking to the link between her 40-year research career and social justice, Abdool Karim said: ‘Who bears the greatest burden of AIDS? It is the poorest of the poor where we face a multiplicity of challenges. The burden of infectious diseases and social inequality go hand-in-hand.’
She has over 300 peer-reviewed publications and has helped train more than 600 African scientists. Her dedication to mentorship and empowering women in science has inspired the next generation of researchers, ensuring an enduring impact on science and public health research and evidence-based policy.
Abdool Karim is a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, and holder of the John C. Martin Chair in Global Health at CAPRISA. As President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), she is a leading figure in global science leadership and as the UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Adolescents and HIV, she continues to play a pivotal role in providing scientific support for the global AIDS response.
UKZN’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Nana Poku congratulated Abdool Karim, saying: ‘Her dedication, leadership and scientific excellence continue to inspire us all and reinforce the vital role our University plays in advancing knowledge that transforms lives. Let us all celebrate this momentous achievement with pride.’
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Health Sciences (CHS) Professor Busisiwe Ncama echoed the Vice-Chancellor’s sentiments: ‘UKZN is indeed a pinnacle science academy and fits well with the stature of the person Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim is – she has dedicated her whole life to pursuing science. We are very proud of her and her association with UKZN’s CHS, the entire province of KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa. I always say she could have chosen to be anywhere in the world, but she has remained very loyal to this Institution and province when notable individuals like her are leaving.’
Abdool Karim will be formally admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society at a ceremony in London in July.
Click here to view Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim’s reaction to being elected as a Fellow of the UK’s Royal Society.
Words: Minoshni Pillay and MaryAnn Francis
Photograph: Gabriel Attwood
