World-renowned Indian-origin South African scientists Professor Salim Abdool Karim and Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim were honoured with a prestigious award by the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) in Baltimore, US.
World-renowned Indian-origin South African scientists Professor Salim Abdool Karim and Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim were honoured with a prestigious award by the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) in Baltimore, US for their extraordinary global impact on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
The accolade was conferred by celebrated American biomedical pioneer Robert Gallo, the very researcher who discovered that HIV is the infectious agent responsible for AIDS, during the 19th international IHV meeting.
Who are Abdool Karims?
The duo both acclaimed clinical infectious diseases epidemiologists are revered across the globe for their groundbreaking contributions to HIV research, prevention, and treatment strategies.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim serves as a CAPRISA Professor for Global Health in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He also holds several prestigious roles including Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Associate Scientific Director of CAPRISA, has shaped global understanding of the HIV epidemic, particularly among adolescent girls in South Africa. 
Her influential research explores the drivers of HIV spread and identifies sustainable, life-saving strategies for introducing antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited regions.
Together, the power couple has dedicated over two decades to pioneering innovations aimed at protecting women from HIV. Their landmark development of the CAPRISA 004 tenofovir gel marked a historic breakthrough – the first-ever drug proven to prevent sexually transmitted HIV and herpes simplex virus type 2 in women.
Their 2010 Tenofovir Gel Trial was a scientific milestone, becoming one of the top 10 global breakthroughs of the year and revolutionising the world’s understanding of prevention science.