Indian scientist gets Bailey K Ashford Medal for work in tropical medicine

New Delhi: The world’s largest scientific organisation in tropical medicine, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, has awarded the prestigious 2022 Bailey K Ashford Medal and 2022 Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (FASTMH) award to an Indian physician-scientist.

Dr Subash Babu, Scientific Director of the ICER-India programme at The ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai was given the awards on October 30 at the annual ASTMH meeting held in Seattle, USA.

The medal is awarded annually to one or more mid-career investigators for distinguished work in tropical medicine, a press statement issued by ICER, India said.

The ICER is an India-US research collaboration between the Department of Health Research (DHR)-Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases).

In the 82-year history of the award, it has never been given before to an Indian scientist or for work done at an Indian institution.

In addition to the Bailey K Ashford award, Dr Babu was also awarded with FASTMH for “committed work” in tropical medicine since 1995.

Dr Daniel Bausch, President of the ASTMH said, “Dr Subash Babu has made major contributions to the elucidation of the key immunological underpinnings of diseases including filariasis, influences of helminthic-infection on metabolic disorders, and the interface between diabetes and tuberculosis.

“Most importantly, his seminal work on the influence of Type 2 diabetes in TB in response to anti-TB therapy has wide ranging impact in the TB-field and for global health.”