Dr Subash Babu, a prominent Indian scientist and physician, has been awarded the prestigious 2022 Bailey K Ashford Medal and 2022 Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (FASTMH) Award for his exemplary research work and contributions to tropical medicine. This marks the first time an Indian scientist or institution has received the award in its 82-year history.

Dr Babu is the scientific director of the ICER-India programme and is a pioneer in research on helminth infections and tuberculosis. He received the FASTMH award for his dedicated work to tropical medicine, which he began in 1995. His research portfolio centers on endemic infections in India and is funded by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, USA.

His research has led to major advances in the understanding of the immunology of different infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, filariasis, strongyloidiasis, and hookworm infections that are endemic to India. He has also been the principal or co-investigator of 31 research protocols and serves as the mentor for graduate and undergraduate students from 30 Indian academic institutions.

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.