Prof Kusum Sharma awarded fellowship of the national academy of medical sciences(FAMS)
Dr Kusum Sharma , Professor , Department of Medical Microbiology, PGIMER, Chandigarh has been awarded the prestigious fellowship of the national academy of medical sciences(FAMS). She was awarded during the Annual Conference of the National Academy of medical sciences held at BHU, Varanasi from Novembr 26-28th,2021. She was awarded for her contribution to the field of Microbiology in India. Honourable Governor of Telangana Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan was the Chief Guest and Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Honorable Union Minister of State for Finance, Govt.Of India was the guest of honour.
Dr Kusum has been working in the field of molecular diagnosis of tuberculosis especially tubercular meningitis(brain TB) and ocular tuberculosis. Her major achievements include improving the molecular diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (Brain tuberculosis). She is a part of the Tuberculous Meningitis International Research Consortium. She was also a part of the Collaborative Ocular Tuberculosis Study Consensus Guidelines group on the Management of Tubercular Uveitis which developed the Guidelines for Initiating Antitubercular Therapy in Anterior Uveitis, Intermediate Uveitis, Panuveitis, and Retinal Vasculitis. She is also a member of international uveitis society working together for improving diagnosis and treatment of tubercular uveitis.
She was the lead microbiologist lead for INDEX TB guidelines, the Extrapulmonary TB guidelines of India, which were developed as an initiative of Central TB Division, Ministry of health and family welfare and convened by Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO-CC) for Training and Research in Tuberculosis Centre of Excellence for Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Dr Kusum had developed a new PCR for diagnosis of TB which was granted patent in 2020. She was the Co-chairperson of Scientific committee of MICROCON at PGIMER, Chandigarh, from 26th– 28th November, 2016. She published more than 180 research papers and has won various international and national research awards including outstanding abstract award at American Society of Microbiology meeting held at Atlanta , USA in 2018. She was awarded fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians (London) in 2017.
