Nesri Padayatchi elected member of ASSAf
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) inaugurated 23 new members at its Annual Awards and Inauguration Ceremony on 14 October 2014 increasing its numbers to 445, all of whom are recognised as among South Africa’s top scholars.
Respected as an authority on TB-HIV co-infection, Dr Nesri Padayatchi, Deputy Director of CAPRISA, was elected as a Member of ASSAf at the awards ceremony.
“I am pleased to congratulate and welcome you as a newly elected member of ASSAf”, said ASSAf General Secretary Professor Himla Soodya. “Your active membership of the Academy is vital to its success and we look forward to your contributions to its growth and development.”
Dr Padayatchi’s clinical and research experience in the management of TB and related problems span over 25 years. She serves on the South African National Advisory Board for MDR–TB and in 2013 was appointed to the KwaZulu -Natal MDR-TB Technical Advisory committee.
Her significant scientific contribution has been as a co-investigator in the SAPiT and STRIDE (A5221) studies, which changed the South African, WHO and DHHS guidelines for the management of patients with TB-HIV co-infection. Dr Padatatchi together with Jerome Singh, a CAPRISA ethicist, and Ross Upshur, a public health specialist from Toronto University, through their publication relating to the ethical and legal ramifications and public health consequences of inadequately controlled XDR-TB, stimulated global debate on the subject.
Dr Padayatchi was the Principal investigator in the Centres for Disease Control, Atlanta, Tuberculosis Trials Consortium in studies 27, 28, 29 and 30, which focused on treatment shortening regimens for TB. She was the CAPRISA Principal Investigator for ACTG and the CAPRISA site.
In the ACTG network, Dr Padayatchi participated in the following studies 5221, 5253, 5255, 5304, 5274 and served on the protocol development teams of 5300, 5289 and is Vice-Chair of 5319.
She is a member of the South African TB Vaccine Committee.