Sir Alimuddin Zumla (born 15 May 1955) is a British-Zambian professor of

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

s and international health at University College London Medical School, and a Consultant Infectious Diseases physician at UCLHospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. He specialises in infectious and tropical diseases,

clinical immunology Immunology is a branch of biology and medicine that covers the study of immune systems in all organisms. Immunology charts, measures, and contextualizes the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; ...

, and

internal medicine Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of ...

, with a special interest in HIV/AIDS,

respiratory infection Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are infectious diseases involving the lower or upper respiratory tract. An infection of this type usually is further classified as an upper respiratory tract infection (URI or URTI) or a lower respiratory tra ...

s (including

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

and

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

), pathogens with epidemic potential and

diseases of poverty Diseases of poverty, also known as poverty-related diseases (PRDs), are diseases that are more prevalent in low-income populations. They include infectious diseases, as well as diseases related to malnutrition and poor health behaviour. Poverty i ...

. He is known for his leadership of infectious/tropical diseases research and capacity development activities. He was awarded a

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in the 2017 Queens Birthday Honours list for services to public health and protection from infectious disease. In 2012, he was awarded Zambia's highest civilian honour, the Order of the Grand Commander of Distinguished services - First Division. In 2024, for the seventh consecutive year, Zumla was recognised by

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as one of the world's top 1% most cited researchers. In 2021 Sir Zumla was elected as Fellow of

The World Academy of Sciences The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS) is a North–south research partnerships, merit-based science academy established for developing countries, uniting more than 1,400 scientists in some 1 ...

. In 2024, he was elected Member of the prestigious Academy of Europe (

Academia Europaea The Academia Europaea is a pan-European Academy of humanities, letters, law, and sciences. The Academia was founded in 1988 as a functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry. It acts as co-ordinator of Europe ...

Early life

Alimuddin "Ali" Zumla was born in

Northern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate in Southern Africa, now the independent country of Zambia. It was formed in 1911 by Amalgamation (politics), amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North ...

(now Chipata, Eastern Province, Zambia). His parents Ismail and Aman Zumla were of Gujarati Indian origin. He resided in the Kamwala district of Lusaka. He did his early education at the Lotus Primary School and Prince Philip Secondary School (now Kamwala Secondary School) in

Lusaka Lusaka ( ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was abo ...

, and his medical training at the

University of Zambia The University of Zambia (UNZA) is a public university located in Lusaka, Zambia. It is Zambia's largest and oldest learning institution. The university was established in 1965 and officially opened to the public on 12 July 1966. The language of ...

's School of Medicine. As a teenager, he declined a

Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Established in 1902, it is ...

in order to pursue medical training in Zambia. In 1980, Zumla moved to London to pursue an MSc in

tropical medicine Tropical medicine is an interdisciplinary branch of medicine that deals with health issues that occur uniquely, are more widespread, or are more difficult to control in tropical and subtropical regions. Physicians in this field diagnose and tr ...

at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. In 1982, he contracted life-threatening

tuberculous meningitis Tuberculous meningitis, also known as TB meningitis or tubercular meningitis, is a specific type of bacterial meningitis caused by the ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' infection of the meninges—the system of membranes which envelop the central ner ...

, and was told that he would never walk again, but went on to recover and return to work a year and a half later despite disabling and painful neurological sequelae resulting from his meningitis. He went on to pursue doctoral studies on leprosy human

monoclonal antibodies A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a Lineage (evolution), cell lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell. Mon ...

at the

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine. The institu ...

, where his 1987 dissertation (advised by Keith McAdam) merited him the Alan Woodruff Medal.

Career

Zumla spent a year at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gaining the MSc degree in Clinical Tropical Diseases with a distinction and the Murgratroyd Prize. He subsequently worked at The Royal Northern and Royal Free Hospitals under the mentorship of David Geraint James obtaining his Membership of The Royal College of Physicians of London. After doing a PhD between 1985 and 1987, Zumla worked as infectious diseases registrar and at the Rush Green Regional Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Romford under Ming Yong and Mervyn Medlock. Whilst working at Rush Green Hospital, he identified and notified the first cases of the 1988 Legionnaires' Diseases outbreak which he traced back to Broadcasting House, BBC, central London. Zumla subsequently spent four years in a senior registrar/honorary lecturer position at the

Hammersmith Hospital Hammersmith Hospital, formerly the Military Orthopaedic Hospital, and later the Special Surgical Hospital, is a major teaching hospital in White City, London, White City, West London. It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the ...

, Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London under Sir Robert Lechler, and then two years at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

Center for Infectious Diseases working with Herbert DuPont. He then returned to his native Zambia to work on AIDS-related

opportunistic infection An opportunistic infection is an infection that occurs most commonly in individuals with an immunodeficiency disorder and acts more severe on those with a weakened immune system. These types of infections are considered serious and can be caused b ...

s at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka before moving to

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

in 1994. In 2003, there were media reports about a paper of Zumla's in ''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication. The journal publishes ...

'' discussing a new test developed by a team he led for monitoring

CD4 In molecular biology, CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4) is a glycoprotein that serves as a co-receptor for the T-cell receptor (TCR). CD4 is found on the surface of immune cells such as helper T cells, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic c ...

immune cell counts based on dried blood samples. Such counts are used in monitoring AIDS patients taking

antiretroviral drug The management of HIV/AIDS normally includes the use of multiple Antiviral drug, antiretroviral drugs as a strategy to control HIV/AIDS, HIV infection. There are several classes of antiretroviral agents that act on different stages of the HIV li ...

treatments; Zumla's subsequent work has led to development and evaluation of a range of rapid, cheap and more accessible diagnostic tests for TB and respiratory infections for use on patients in developing countries. Zumla was the guest editor of the Lancet TB Series which addressed key issues around TB treatment and diagnosis. The launch was held at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva on 18 May 2010. , Zumla is the director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases and International Health at University College London Medical School, as well as a consultant in infectious diseases at

University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College Lo ...

. His research interests include tuberculosis (particularly drug

clinical trials Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human subject research, human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel v ...

biomarkers In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, p ...

, MDR-TB and TB in London), HIV/AIDS, tropical diseases, respiratory infections (and rapid diagnostics thereof), endocarditis, biomarkers, and transrenal DNA. Zumla's work focuses on improving global health, especially for disadvantaged populations, with an emphasis on assisting poorer and disadvantaged peoples of the world. He established and directs a multi-country collaboration with several African, Middle Eastern, European and United States institutions on collaborative research and training program on TB and HIV/AIDS. Zumla and his collaborators have set up research and training programs in Africa, focusing attention on development of local infrastructure and capacity development. Several of his doctoral students now occupy academic positions in institutions in Africa. Zumla has established north–south partnerships for TB research. His collaborations span five countries in Europe and 10 in sub-Saharan Africa, where he leads several multi-country research projects. His team's research findings have contributed to the development of WHO's management guidelines on treatment and prevention of TB and TB/HIV, and to improvements in the care of patients worldwide. In 2014, together with colleagues from

Public Health England Public Health England (PHE) was an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in England which began operating on 1 April 2013 to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Its formation came as a ...

, World Health Organization, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Middle East, Zumla co-led The Lancet series on Mass Gatherings Medicine which was launched at the

World Health Assembly The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the forum through which the World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by its 194 World Health Organization#Membership, member states. It is the world's highest health policy setting body and is composed of h ...

of Ministers of Health in Geneva. This was a Series of reports about different mass gatherings: the London 2012 Olympic and

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...

; the 2012 European Football Championship finals, hosted jointly by

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

; and the 2012 and 2013

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

. These reports set out the planning and surveillance systems used to monitor public health risks, and describe the public health experiences and lessons learnt for the planning of future events. In 2024 a study published in The Lancet co-led by Sir Zumla and Dr Brian McCloskey of Chatham House –involving an international group of public health experts from the UK, Japan, Switzerland and the US outlines how mass gathering events can be held safely even in the context of an infectious disease pandemic. Zumla played a lead role in defining the

etiology Etiology (; alternatively spelled aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek word ''()'', meaning "giving a reason for" (). More completely, etiology is the study of the causes, origins ...

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and Risk factor (epidemiology), determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population, and application of this knowledge to prevent dise ...

, virology, pathogenesis, mode of transmission, diagnosis, management and infection control measures of

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

. His publications have emphasised the importance of development of new therapeutics and vaccines. Zumla has served on numerous international advisory groups. He was Member of Court of Governors of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2007–2014), under the directorship of Sir Andrew Haines. He was vice president of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2003–2005). He served as Vice Chair of the Strategic Advisory Group to the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership(2014–2016) On 7 April 2015, at an inaugural meeting in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, South Africa, Zumla and Markus Maeurer from

Karolinska Institutet The Karolinska Institute (KI; ; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden and one of the foremost medical research institutes globally. ...

, Sweden led and established a new initiative, the Host-Directed Therapies Network (HDT-NET) consortium of 64 global partners to tackle global infectious diseases threats of multi-drug resistant TB and

antimicrobial resistance Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from antimicrobials, which are drugs used to treat infections. This resistance affects all classes of microbes, including bacteria (antibiotic resista ...

. In 2020, Zumla was cited as a leading expert on the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In 2021 Zumla was elected as Fellow of

whose principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in developing countries. In 2022 Zumla was profiled in the Lancet. On 12 October 2022, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene awarded Zumla the Sir Patrick Manson Medal, their highest mark of distinction. Zumla is the first ethnic minority recipient of this award since its conception in 1923. In 2024, together with colleagues from UK-Health security Agency,

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public university, public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a constituent college, member institution of the University of London that specialises in public hea ...

WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...

and other global ONE-HEALTH investigators, Zumla co-led

Series on One Health and Global Health Security. This was a four-paper series exploring the adoption of One Health approaches to improve health security and include an analysis of the current landscape of preventive, surveillance, and response measures in outbreak situations of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic infectious diseases with epidemic potential, antimicrobial resistance, environmental and chemical hazards and natural disasters. On November 26 Zumla was awarded the Long Service Lifetime Achievement award by the UCLHospitals NHS Fiundation Trust.

Awards

, - ! scope="row" , 1999 , Weber Parkes Trust Medal and Prize ,

Royal College of Physicians of London The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...

, , Awarded triennially from 1897 for work in the prevention and cure of tuberculosis. , , - ! scope="row" , 2000 , Albert Chalmers Medal , Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene , , Recognises researchers in tropical medicine or global health who demonstrate evidence of mentoring and professional development of junior investigators, and other forms of capacity building. , , - ! scope="row" , 2003 , Windrush Award for Academic Achievement , African Caribbean Achievement Project , , The awards recognise talent and achievement in the African Caribbean, Asian and Oriental communities. , , - ! scope="row" , 2005 , Ibn Sina Award for Medicine , The Muslim News Awards for Excellence , , Professional of the year for medicine. , , - ! scope="row" , 2011 , Science Award , UK India International Foundation , , for outstanding achievements in science by a professional with origins in India. , , - ! scope="row" , 2011 , Spinoza Leerstoel award ,

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, ) is a public university, public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in the Netherlan ...

, , for "Outstanding research & capacity development achievements in the global fight against TB and TB/HIV/AIDS" , , - ! scope="row" , 2011 , Kochon Prize and Medal , World Health Organisation (WHO) Stop TB Partnership , , Announced at the opening ceremony of the World Conference of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (the Union) in Lille , , - ! scope="row" , 2012 , Annual Science Prize ,

, , For outstanding outputs in global health and infectious diseases , , - ! scope="row" , 2012 , Grand Commander of the Order of Distinguished Services First Division , Republic of

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

, , The highest Zambian civilian award. Bestowed on Zumla on the 48th anniversary of Zambia's Independence (October 2012) by then Zambian president

Michael Sata Michael Charles Chilufya Sata (6 July 1937 – 28 October 2014) was a Zambian politician who served as the fifth president of Zambia from 2011 until Death and state funeral of Michael Sata, his death in 2014. A social democrat, he led the Patrio ...

for his outstanding contributions to infectious diseases research in sub-Saharan Africa, development of Zambia's health sector, and training of numerous health personnel. , , - ! scope="row" , 2016 , Honorary doctorate ,

, , To individuals for their important scientific achievements or significant contributions to the university or humanity at large. , , - ! scope="row" , 2016 , European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership prize , European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership , , Won by a research consortium led by Zumla. Presented by Zambian President Edgar Lungu. , , - ! scope="row" , 2017 , Senior investigator award ,

National Institute for Health and Care Research The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the British government's major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research. With a budget of over £1.2 billion in 2020–21, its mission is to "impr ...

, , NIHR Senior Investigators are 'among the most prominent and prestigious researchers' and the most outstanding leaders within the NIHR Faculty. Senior Investigators are appointed from NIHR Investigators through annual competitions informed by the advice of an international panel of experts. , , - ! scope="row" , 2018 , Annual global list of influential researchers ,

, , World's top 1% most cited researchers. , , - ! scope="row" , 2019 , Annual global list of influential researchers ,

, , World's top 1% most cited researchers. , , - ! scope="row" , 2020 , Annual global list of influential researchers ,

, , World's top 1% most cited researchers. , , - ! scope="row" , 2020 , Mahathir Science Award in Tropical Medicine , Mahathir Science Award Foundation, Academy of Sciences Malaysia , , A Malaysian science prize awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to tropical sciences. , , - ! scope="row" , 2020 , Dr Pascoal Mocumbi prize , EU- EDCTP , , Awarded to senior scientists, policy-makers or advocates for health and research , , - ! scope="row" , 2021 , Annual global list of influential researchers ,

, , World's top 1% most cited researchers. , , - ! scope="row" , 2022 , Senior investigator award (Renewal) ,

, , NIHR Senior Investigators are 'among the most prominent and prestigious researchers' and the most outstanding leaders within the NIHR Faculty. Senior Investigators are appointed from NIHR Investigators through annual competitions informed by the advice of an international panel of experts. , , - ! scope="row" , 2022 , Annual global list of influential researchers ,

, , World's top 1% most cited researchers. , , - ! scope="row" , 2022 , Sir Patrick Manson Medal , Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene , , The Sir Patrick Manson Medal is the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's highest mark of distinction. It is awarded once every three years to senior experts whose contribution to tropical medicine or hygiene is considered to merit the honour most. , , - ! scope="row" , 2023 , Annual global list of influential researchers ,

, , World's top 1% most cited researchers. ,

Quotes

Selected works

Zumla has authored more than 700 publications and edited/published 21 medical textbooks, three of which are globally acknowledged classics: ''Manson's Tropical Diseases'' 21st and 22nd editions, ''Tuberculosis: A Comprehensive Clinical Reference'' which involves 156 global TB experts writing 104 chapters on all aspects of paediatric and adult TB, and ''Granulomatous Disorders'' co-edited with D. G. James.

Books

* Zumla Alimuddin and Abubakar Ibrahim (Senior Editors). Editors: Miriam Orcutt, Clare Shortall, Sarah Walpole, Aula Abbara, Sylvia Garry , Rita Issa (2022). CLINICAL HANDBOOK OF REFUGEE HEALTH (2021) . Nov, 2021 CRC Press Taylor and Francis * Stefan HE Kaufmann, Eric Rubin, and Alimuddin Zumla. PERSPECTIVES IN MEDICINE (2015) Publisher: Cold Spring Harbour Press, USA. * Zumla Alimuddin and Hui David. (2019). EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Hardcover eBook . Elsevier Saunders, New York. * * Zumla Alimuddin and Keiser Jennifer (Editors). TROPICAL DISEASES (2012) Publishers: Elsevier Saunders publishers, New York. . * Zumla Alimuddin, Yew WWing-Wai and Hui David (2011). EMERGING RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY. (2011). Publishers: Elsevier Saunders publishers, New York. . * Zumla Alimuddin, and Schaaf Simon. Clinics in Chest Medicine. TUBERCULOSIS. (2011). ( ). Publisher: Elsevier publishers, London, New York. * * * * Gandy Matthew and Zumla Alimuddin. (2003). THE RETURN OF THE WHITE PLAGUE: GLOBAL POVERTY AND THE NEW TUBERCULOSIS. Publishers: Verso Books, London: (20 chapters with 49 international authors). * Cook GC and Zumla A. Editors: (2003) MANSON'S TROPICAL DISEASES, 21st edition. Harcourt Brace Saunders Publishing Group, London . * James D Geraint and Zumla Alimuddin. (1999) GRANULOMATOUS DISORDERS Publishers: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. (1999). *

Journal papers

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bibliographic databases

* * *
Search Results for author Zumla
on PubMed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zumla, Alimuddin British pathologists Zambian Muslims British people of Indian descent Zambian infectious disease physicians Zambian people of Gujarati descent Zambian emigrants to the United Kingdom Living people Gujarati people 1955 births Fellows of the Royal Society of Biology Knights Bachelor British people of Gujarati descent Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom British Muslims 20th-century British medical doctors Zambian people of Indian descent 21st-century British medical doctors NIHR Senior Investigators Fellows of the African Academy of Sciences