Speakers

Quarraisha Abdool Karim

Place of Birth : Durban, South Africa
Position : President, The World Academy of Sciences; John C. Martin Chair in Global Health and Associate Scientific Director, CAPRISA; Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Columbia University; Pro-Vice Chancellor, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Field of study : Infectious diseases epidemiology, with a focus on HIV, TB, and Covid-19; policy and programming; and training and capacity development.

Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim is a leading South African infectious diseases epidemiologist and a global authority on HIV prevention. As a co-founder of CAPRISA, she holds the John C. Martin Chair in Global Health and serves as the Associate Scientific Director. Her academic appointments include a Professorship in Clinical Epidemiology at Columbia University and a role as Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Dr. Abdool Karim is currently the President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Adolescents and HIV. Her research has had a profound impact on public health, with her work being published in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature, and The Lancet. She has been instrumental in building scientific capacity in Southern Africa, having trained over 600 scientists in HIV and TB research. Her contributions have been recognized with more than 30 major awards, including the L’Oréal-UNESCO Award, the Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, and the Noguchi Africa Prize. She is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the Royal Society, among other esteemed academies.

• 2000: PhD (Medicine), University of Natal, South Africa
• 1995: Diploma in Public Service Management (cum laude), University of Pretoria, South Africa
• 1988: MS (Parasitology), Columbia University, United States
• 1986: Higher Education Diploma (Post-graduate), University of South Africa
• 1983: BSc (Hons) (Biochemistry), University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
• 1981: BSc (Microbiology, Biochemistry), University of Durban-Westville, South Africa

• Since 2025: John C. Martin Chair in Global Health, CAPRISA
• Since 2022: President, The World Academy of Sciences
• Since 2018: Pro-Vice Chancellor, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Since 2013: Professor in Clinical Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
• Since 2008: Associate Scientific Director, Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)