Rate My Professor Salim Abdool Karim

Salim S. Abdool Karim is a South African public health physician, epidemiologist and virologist known for his contributions to HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 research and policy. He holds an MBChB from the University of Natal (1983), an MS in Epidemiology from Columbia University (1988), an MMed in Community Health from the University of Natal (1992), and a PhD from the University of Natal (1999). He serves as Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), CAPRISA Professor of Global Health in Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He also holds adjunct professorships at Harvard University and Weill Cornell Medicine. In 2014, he received an honorary Doctor of Science (Medicine) degree from the University of Cape Town.

Abdool Karim’s research has focused on HIV prevention, including co-leading the CAPRISA 004 tenofovir gel trial that provided the first evidence of antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as studies on HIV-TB co-infection treatment and the epidemiology of COVID-19. His work has informed WHO guidelines and UNAIDS reports. He has authored or co-authored over 520 peer-reviewed publications and co-edited books on epidemiology, HIV/AIDS in South Africa, and HIV clinical trials. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and has received numerous awards, including the Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, the African Union’s Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award, and the 2024 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award (shared with Quarraisha Abdool Karim). He has served on major committees such as the WHO Science Council and chaired South Africa’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19. His contributions have influenced global health policy and built research capacity in southern Africa.

Professional Email: null