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Faculty Honours Professor Rabia Hussain
First Pakistani Scientist Receives Third World Academy of
Sciences Award
Dr. Rabia Hussain, the Ghulamali Hirji Professor and Chair of Microbiology
at Aga Khan University, recently became the first Pakistani
to receive the prestigious Third World Academy of Sciences
(TWAS) award in Basic Medical Sciences for the year 2000,
for her outstanding research contributions in the area of
immunity to infectious diseases.
 TWAS
is an autonomous international organisation, founded in 1983
in Trieste, Italy, under the leadership of the late Pakistani
Nobel laureate in Physics, Dr. Abdus Salam.
Representing the best scientific minds in the developing
world, it aims to support and promote scientific capacity
and excellence for sustainable development in the third world.
The TWAS Awards in Basic Sciences are conferred upon scientists
from developing countries for excellence in scientific research
that contributes significantly to the advancement of the basic
sciences.
The contributions for which Dr. Hussain has been cited by TWAS are "Immunology
of Infectious Diseases with special reference to classes and
subclasses of antibody recognition in filariasis, tuberculosis
and leprosy patients." These studies have led to more
than 85 publications in journals of international repute.
Commenting on this singular accolade,
Dr. Rabia Hussain said, "The TWAS award has tremendous
significance for me, as it recognizes the work conducted in
my homeland, that nurtured me and provided me with the opportunity
to develop the necessary skills. I feel very gratified that
I can bring honour in some small way to my country. Although,
I have been researching for more than 30 years and have received
several international awards and honours, I always felt that
there was nothing unique or special about them, as the research
was carried out in the developed world with unlimited resources."
Professor Hussain is also the recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz from the Government
of Pakistan for her pioneering research in the early diagnosis
and pathogenesis of leprosy and tuberculosis.
These research studies serve as a role model for investigations
into similar infectious diseases for scientists in Pakistan
and throughout the developing world.
Dr. Hussain is a member of international agencies such as the World Health
Organization, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathology,
UK. She is an elected Council member of the International
Society for Infectious Diseases.
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