Professor Keertan Dheda is a globally recognised researcher in tuberculosis (TB). His long-standing collaboration with EDCTP began with his first EDCTP Fellowship (2008-2010), which investigated immune biomarkers linked to susceptibility to multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and treatment response.
He later received further EDCTP funding through the TB-NEAT project, which generated important evidence on DNA- and urine-based point-of-care diagnostics for TB. This work contributed to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on the use of the urine-based lipoarabinomannan (LAM) test and led to major publications in The Lancet in 2014 and 2016. His research showed that LAM-guided TB treatment initiation could reduce mortality among hospitalised patients with HIV-associated TB, and urine LAM testing is now recommended for this patient group.
Professor Dheda was awarded a second EDCTP Senior Fellowship in 2017. This supported research leadership development and the mentoring of early-career researchers working within MDR-TB clinical trials. His EDCTP-supported work also contributed to the first controlled trial showing the feasibility and importance of a shorter, all-oral regimen for MDR-TB.
He has received several awards for his contributions to TB research and global health over the years, including the 2018 EDCTP Scientific Leadership Prize and, most recently, the South Africa’s Order of Mapungubwe.
EDCTP-supported global health leaders
Professor Abdoulaye Djimdé is one of Africa’s leading experts on malaria genomics and antimalarial drug resistance.
Professor Alexander Debrah is a leading researcher in neglected tropical diseases in Ghana and across West Africa.
Professor Blandina Mmbaga is Director of the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI) in Tanzania and a leading figure in clinical research and capacity development in East Africa.
Dr Christian Happi is a molecular biologist and genomic scientist internationally recognised for his work on infectious disease surveillance.
Dr Cissy Kityo is a physician and HIV researcher who played a pioneering role in introducing and scaling up antiretroviral therapy in Uganda.
Professor Collen Masimirembwa is one of Africa’s leading experts in pharmacogenomics and precision medicine.
Dr Delese Mimi Darko is a leading figure in medicines regulation in Africa.
Prof. Eleni Aklillu is Professor of Global Health Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and a leading expert in pharmacovigilance, clinical pharmacology and regulatory science.
Professor Francine Ntoumi is Executive Director of the Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale and a leading figure in infectious disease research and capacity strengthening in Central Africa.
Professor Jean B. Nachega is a leading researcher in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, with a strong focus on infectious diseases and global health in Africa.
Dr Joseph Fokam is a virologist and senior health scientist, serving as Chief of Service at the Virology Laboratory of the CIRCB in Cameroon.
Professor Keertan Dheda is a globally recognised researcher in tuberculosis (TB).
Professor Margaret Gyapong is a leading public health researcher and a strong advocate for equity in health research.
Professor Marieke van der Zalm is a paediatric clinical researcher and one of the world’s leading experts on the long-term impact of tuberculosis (TB) on children’s lung health.
Dr Nicaise Ndembi is a renowned virologist and global health leader working at the intersection of science and policy.
Professor Pauline Byakika is a physician and infectious disease specialist whose research focuses on malaria treatment and the interactions between antimalarial and antiretroviral medicines.
Professor Peter Olupot-Olupot is one of Uganda’s leading clinical and infectious disease epidemiologists.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim is one of Africa’s most prominent infectious disease epidemiologists.
Dr Stellah Mpagama is a leading tuberculosis (TB) researcher whose work focuses on improving TB treatment and understanding how other conditions, such as diabetes, affect TB outcomes.
Professor Tulio de Oliveira is a bioinformatician and global leader in genomic surveillance of infectious diseases.