Cover Prof Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman (Photo: Imran Sulaiman)
Prof Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman (Photo: Imran Sulaiman)
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The renowned infectious disease specialist receives top honour in academia at the 15th National Academic Awards
On October 31, the Ministry of Higher Education acknowledged the exceptional contributions of six local academics during its 15th National Academic Awards—a remarkable testament to the excellence of Malaysian professors.
Among them is Professor Dato’ Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, who received the 2023 National Academic Figure Award, a well-deserved honour for her outstanding contributions to the academic and medical field. A leading expert in HIV/AIDs research, she has made significant strides in promoting awareness, prevention and treatment of the disease both in Malaysia and internationally.
Her pioneering contributions have paved the way for the establishment of infectious disease units and centres in Malaysia. In fact, she has played a pivotal role in founding the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA) at the University of Malaya, one of the country’s leading multidisciplinary research centres dedicated to HIV research within the community.
She also holds prestigious positions in both the medical and academic communities, including the University of Malaya, Monash University and Yale University. On top of being an advisor to numerous World Health Organization committees on HIV/AIDS, she has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Malaysian appointed as commissioner of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Her influence has been instrumental in shaping the Malaysian government’s approach to drug policies. In August last year, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation chairman completed her two-year term as president of the International AIDS Society in 2020, the first woman of Asian descent to assume the role.
Her extensive list of accomplishments is a reflection of the inspiring words she once shared with Tatler: “Live a life of purpose, and strive to do the right thing. As Rumi once said, ‘When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.’”
Elizabeth Soong is the managing editor of Malaysia Tatler. She loves a good laugh, but is serious when it comes to work, and gets a high from dancing, cats purring, plus enjoys musicals or binge-watching a good TV series. Continually inspired by the people she meets, edits and writes about, you're welcome to see what she's up to on her Instagram @lizsoong.
