Prestigious SAMRC Awards for UKZN Health Researchers

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Four UKZN researchers have been honoured with awards from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) for their outstanding contributions to health sciences.

The researchers, lauded for excellence in research, mentorship, and transformation, are Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Professor Rubeshan Perumal, Professor Zilungile Mkhize-Kwitshana, and Professor Andile Khathi.

Abdool Karim, Pro Vice-Chancellor, received the SAMRC Platinum Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award for her exceptional contributions to health sciences. A trailblazing infectious diseases epidemiologist, Abdool Karim’s research on HIV transmission among young women has influenced global HIV prevention strategies, including UNAIDS’ Life Cycle Approach to HIV and PEPFAR’s DREAMS initiative. 

Abdool Karim has played a key role in global health crises, including COVID-19, serving on South Africa’s Ministerial Advisory Committee and the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Solidarity Trial Platform. She co-founded the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), where she has trained over 600 scientists and fostered research excellence. 

In the 1990s, Abdool Karim conducted landmark studies that identified the vulnerability of young women in age-disparate relationships, a major driver of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite initial resistance, her findings became integral to global HIV prevention strategies. Her pioneering CAPRISA 004 trial, co-led with her husband and research partner, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, provided the first conclusive evidence that the antiretroviral drug tenofovir prevents sexual transmission of HIV. This research laid the foundation for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a vital component of HIV prevention. Her research also demonstrated that tenofovir gel protects against genital herpes, marking a major biomedical breakthrough. 

She has received more than 40 prestigious awards, including the Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award and South Africa’s highest honour, the Order of Mapungubwe. She is the first female President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and serves as an advisor to the UN Secretary-General on science and technology. 

Salim congratulated his wife, stating that the award was a wonderful achievement for UKZN to have one of its own recognised as a leading global scientist who has made a major impact on the AIDS epidemic and saved thousands of lives. 

Perumal, a pulmonologist and clinician-scientist, received the SAMRC Bronze Award, recognising his contributions as an emerging scientist in TB and HIV research. At the age of 37, Perumal has made significant contributions to TB/HIV research, securing independent grant funding and mentoring postgraduate students. He is an associate professor of Clinical Medicine at UKZN and a consultant pulmonologist at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in Durban. His work at CAPRISA has shaped TB/HIV treatment strategies. 

Perumal holds an MBChB, MMed (Internal Medicine), MPhil (Pulmonology), MPH, and PhD in Medicine. He has published more than 70 high-impact articles in journals such as The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine and has served as a Principal Investigator in over 10 clinical trials. 

He also contributes to national advisory roles, including the National TB Think Tank and the Long COVID Task Force. 

Mkhize-Kwitshana received the SAMRC Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award for her contributions to capacity building, mentorship, and transformation in South African health research. This award recognises scientists who significantly support historically disadvantaged institutions and doctoral studies. 

An honorary associate professor at UKZN and distinguished professor at UNISA, Mkhize-Kwitshana has dedicated more than 30 years to medical research and academic leadership. Her work focuses on immunology and co-infections, particularly HIV, HPV, TB, and neglected tropical diseases. She has published 76 peer-reviewed articles and 10 book chapters and secured major research funding. 

She has mentored numerous PhD, master’s, and honours students and served in influential roles, including on the SAMRC Board and the National Health Research Ethics Council. Her accolades include the UK KIC Immunology International Fellowship Award and UKZN’s RIE DVC Gold and Silver Research Awards. 

Khathi, an Associate Professor in UKZN’s School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, also received the SAMRC Bronze Award for his contributions to research, leadership, and capacity development in health sciences. 

Khathi’s research focuses on prediabetes, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. He has developed an innovative animal model for studying this condition, earning international recognition, including from WHO, which highlighted prediabetes as a COVID-19 comorbidity. 

A UKZN alumnus, Khathi has risen from lecturer in 2015 to associate professor in 2023. He co-founded the Diabetes and Endocrine Research Society of South Africa and serves as a Topic Editor for leading journals in his field. 

He has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers, authored two book chapters, and supervised numerous PhD and master’s students. 

Committed to transformation, Khathi has built research capacity, secured significant research funding, and received multiple accolades, including the UKZN College of Health Sciences Best Emerging Teacher Award, the National Research Foundation Best Emerging Researcher in Natural Sciences Award, and the ASTRA Research Excellence Award in Human Physiology. 

Professor Busisiwe Ncama, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the CHS said: ‘These SAMRC awards highlight UKZN’s commitment to producing world-class researchers who drive innovation and improve public health outcomes.

‘The four scientists exemplify the transformative impact of research in addressing global health challenges. Their dedication to mentorship, capacity development and scientific excellence ensures a lasting legacy for future generations of South African health scientists,’ she said.

‘These achievements underscore UKZN’s unwavering commitment to research excellence and societal impact. Hearty congratulations for your ground-breaking contributions to science and dedication to improving public health in South Africa and beyond.’

Words: MaryAnn Francis

Photograph: Supplied