Profile

Professor Nahid Ali

Role

HUB leader, India

Speciality

kala-azar, endemic

University/Institution

J.C. Bose and Raja Ramanna Fellow, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology

Location

Kolkata, India

Following her PhD from the Department of Biochemistry, University of Kolkata, Prof. Ali joined Ali CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology as a research scientist. Since then she has devoted her entire research career to kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis), which is endemic in India and across the globe. She is focussed on understanding the pathogenic basis of this disease, and to develop new strategies for diagnosis, protective vaccinations and anti-Leishmania chemotherapy.  Her studies seek to unravel the enigma of immune suppression in kala-azar patients and provide vital clues for understanding the basis of disease reactivation as post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).

In recognition of her contributions Prof. Ali has received several prestigious awards including the National Women Bioscientist Award, and has been elected as a Fellow of the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology (FAScT), National Academy of Sciences (FNASc), Indian Academy of Sciences (FASc), Indian National Science Academy (FNA) and The World Academy of Science (TWAS).