First Indian scientist gets Bailey K Ashford award in its 82 years' history

New Delhi, Nov 08: India is constantly pushing the frontiers of knowledge and accomplishments. The latest feat to make the country proud is the first ever Bailey K Ashford award to Indian physician and scientist Dr Subhash Babu for his exemplary research work in tropical medicine.

Indian physician and scientist Dr Subhash Babu was awarded the 2022 Bailey K. Ashford Medal, and 2022 Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (FASTMH). He is the first Indian to receive both the Bailey K Ashford medal as well as the FASTMH award, according to an official release quoted by ANI.

Subash Babu is the scientific director of the ICER (International Centre for Excellence in Research) - India Programme and is a leader in helminth infections and tuberculosis research.

On October 30, 2022, Subash Babu was awarded the Bailey K Ashford medal at the annual ASTMH meeting held this week in Seattle, USA. Besides, he was also awarded FASTMH for committed work in tropical medicine since 1995.

President of the ASTMH, Dr Daniel Bausch 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," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

In tropical medicine, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) is the world's largest scientific organization. The medal is awarded annually to one or more mid-career-investigators for distinguished work in tropical medicine.

The award is very special for India as it has never been awarded to an Indian scientist or for work done at an Indian institution in the 82-year history of the award.

Subash Babu completed his MBBS at the Government Kilpauk Medical College in Tamil Nadu. He further completed his Ph.D. in immunology at the University of Connecticut in the USA.

After his post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Subash Babu returned to India and established the ICER at the campus of ICMR-NIRT in Chennai in 2006.