Scientific Leadership Prize
The prize recognizes scientists who have made significant achievements in their field and will continue to become leaders in their research field. In addition to their scientific excellence, the contestants should have made major contributions to the objectives of the EDCTP2 programme to strengthen research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and to support South-South and North-South networking.
Recipients of the Scientific Leadership Prize
2023
Professor Kamija Phiri (Malawi)
Prof. Phiri leads the Training & Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), an independent research organisation, which he established in 2018 with several field sites in southern Malawi. This self-sustaining unit supports research and postgraduate training. His research interests are the control of malaria and anaemia in children and pregnant women. His research has supported 22 PhDs.
2020
Professor Graeme Meintjes (South Africa)
Over the past 20 years, Prof. Meintjes has made huge contributions to the improved understanding of HIV-associated tuberculosis, tuberculosis immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, and HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis.
2018
Professor Keertan Dheda (South Africa)
Professor Keertan Dheda’s research work has focused on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and transmission of tuberculosis. He has made seminal contributions to the field of TB, has an outstanding publications record and is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Scientific Award.
2016
Professor Shabir Mahdi (South Africa)
Professor Shabir Mahdi is a clinical infectious disease epidemiologist and vaccinologist. His main research interests are epidemiology and prevention through vaccination of the leading causes of infectious disease-associated morbidity and mortality in children from low- and middle-income countries. In 2013, he received the Medical Research Council Life Time Award. He has 270 publications in international peer-reviewed journals.