Professor Rubeshan Perumal, a famous pulmonologist (a physician who specialises in the respiratory system) and professor, has received the 2024 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

This distinguished award acknowledges his outstanding contributions to research, as well as his long track record of innovation and academic success, notably in tuberculosis (TB) and HIV.

Perumal, 37, holds several prestigious positions, including associate professor of Clinical Medicine, Consultant Pulmonologist in the Department of Pulmonology and Critical Care at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, and Head of TB/HIV Treatment Research at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA).

His globally recognised work addresses key difficulties in TB and HIV care, with a special emphasis on improving therapies for drug-resistant tuberculosis, one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

His scientific experience began in 2005, during his first year of medical school, when he joined the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) for a research internship.

"From very early on, I felt inspired to maintain an unflinching focus on saving the lives of people living with HIV and TB, especially those with drug-resistant forms of the disease who face the highest risk of death," said Perumal.

Despite being a curable infectious disease, TB kills over 1.5 million people each year, and a substantial amount of work remains to be done if we are to turn the tide on this ancient, relentless scourge."

He credited his professional mentors, Professors Salim Abdool Karim, Kogie Naidoo, Nesri Padayatchi, Bilkish Cassim, and Keertan Dheda, for helping him prepare for a life committed to eliminating human suffering through significant TB/HIV research.

"Their examples have been a constant reminder of what can be achieved through pioneering and rigorous science combined with a deeply personal commitment to solving the most pressing problems threatening human health," said Perumal.

"I hope to pay this forward through my own mentorship activities to ensure that we have a diverse and talented pipeline of next-generation scholars equipped to tackle the complex challenges facing our country and the world."

Perumal has written over 70 peer-reviewed publications for major journals such as The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and Lancet Infectious Diseases.

He is also a regular speaker at national and international conferences, and his work has received considerable acclaim.

His work as a primary investigator or co-investigator on over 10 clinical studies is helping to influence the future of tuberculosis and HIV treatment.

In addition to his academic and scientific accomplishments, Perumal is an important figure in medical education, managing undergraduate training in Internal Medicine and mentoring postgraduate and doctorate candidates.

His dedication to developing the next generation of clinician-scientists guarantees that his legacy of quality and innovation continues.

Aside from his academic and clinical work, Professor Perumal is an active member of national and international advisory groups, including the KwaZulu-Natal Drug-Resistant TB Advisory Group, the National TB Think Tank, and the Global Virus Network's Long Covid Task Force.

"Life as a clinician-scientist straddles the poetic intersection between the austerity of scientific empiricism and the artistry inherent in caring for people in their most desperate state of illness. I feel deeply blessed," he added.

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Professor Rubeshan Perumal given prestigious research award from UKZN