HIV research pioneer Quarraisha Abdool Karim joins the Royal Society

Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, a leading figure in HIV research, has been inducted as a Fellow at the Royal Society, joining an esteemed group of scientists. 

Her dedication to empowering young African scientists and addressing social inequalities in health continues to inspire the next generations. 

"Creating a platform for emerging young scientists in Africa - that’s our continent’s treasure chest," said Abdool Karim, an infectious diseases epidemiologist.

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. 

She joined six other South Africans, including her husband, epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim, as a Fellow. The others are: Wits Vice-Chancellor and physicist Professor Zeblon Vilakazi; tuberculosis researcher Professor Valerie Mizrahi; chemist Professor Tebello Nyokong; physicist Professor Bernie Fanaroff; and theoretical physicist Professor George Ellis.

For over three decades, Professor Abdool Karim, an associate scientific director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in Durban (Caprisa) has played a leading role in shaping the global HIV prevention field. This is especially in developing prevention technologies for adolescent girls and young women. 

Her landmark research - the Caprisa 004 trial - demonstrated that antiretrovirals could 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 have 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. She holds the John C Martin Chair in Global Health at Caprisa and is pro vice-chancellor (African health) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

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 role in providing scientific support for the global Aids response. 

Speaking to her commitment to her ongoing HIV research, Abdool Karim said: “Healthy nations are wealthy nations. I see it every day. We remain committed to ending Aids as a public health threat.”

Abdool Karim will be formally admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society at a ceremony in London in July.

THE POST