Quadruple triumph for Professor Sir Alimuddin Zumla

Sir Ali featured in the 2024 Clarivate List of the world's most highly cited researchers

Sir Ali Zumla has once again earned his place on the prestigious Clarivate list of the world’s most highly cited researchers. This marks the seventh consecutive year (2018-2024) that Sir Ali has been recognized for his exceptional global research influence. The 2024 list, published in November, included 60 UCL academics, reaffirming UCL’s position as the second-leading UK institution for top-tier research talent.

Researchers on the Clarivate list are celebrated as being '1 in 1,000,' a designation reserved for individuals whose scientific papers rank in the top 0.1% of citations in the global Web of Science database. According to Clarivate, these researchers demonstrate 'exceptional global research influence.'

To be featured on the list, a researcher must have published multiple highly-cited scientific papers which rank in the top 0.1% of papers based on citations in the Web of Science - a global database of citations.

Sir Ali has achieved 88, 850 citations and an H-index of 143 (‪Professor Sir Alimuddin Zumla - ‪Google Scholar)

Sir Ali remarked:

“It’s a great honour to once again be part of this distinguished group of researchers. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of our CCM staff, our talented collaborators, students, and colleagues I have had the privilege to work with over the past 30 years at UCL.

Further information on the 2024 Clarivate List found at UCL in global top 10 for influential researchers | UCL News.

Sir Ali receives UCL Hospitals long service Lifetime Achievement Award

Sir Ali has been honoured with the Long Service Lifetime Achievement Award by the UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This prestigious accolade celebrates Sir Ali’s outstanding clinical service and contributions as a consultant in Infectious Diseases. At the award ceremony held on November 26, 2024, UCLH Trust Board Chairperson Baroness Julia Neuberger and Chief Executive Professor David Probert officiated the event. The award is a personal acknowledgment of Sir Ali’s enduring commitment to excellence and his profound impact on patient care, and institutional successes in delivering the highest quality infectious diseases and microbiology services for inpatients at UCLHospital, Westmoreland street site.

Reflecting on this honor, Sir Ali said:

"While I have received numerous national and international accolades, this award holds a special place in my heart. It is a recognition from the very institution I have served for three decades and made numerous friends at all levels of staff working together as a ‘family’ unit. Working alongside the dedicated and compassionate staff at UCLH has been both a privilege, pleasure and an inspiration."

Professor Asif Muneer, Clinical Lead for Urology at UCLH Westmoreland Street Hospital said:

"Sir Ali is a unique role model clinician scientist totally dedicated to delivering the highest levels of patient care at the same time delivering world class research. He has set a very high benchmark for the world of clinical medicine and science! These recent accolades underscore Sir Ali’s continuing unparalleled contributions to infectious diseases, global health, medical research, and clinical service excellence. Sir Ali's combination of brilliance, humility, and relentless pursuit of excellence  is the highest calling of science and medicine  serving humanity with both intellect and heart."

Sir Ali election to the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea)

Sir Ali has been elected as a member of the prestigious Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea), a distinguished organization that has 72 Nobel Prize laureates among its membership. The Academia Europaea is the advancement and propagation of excellence in scholarship in across many disciplines, not only medicine: including humanities, law, the economic, social, and political sciences, mathematics, and all branches of natural and technological sciences anywhere in the world for the public benefit. The Academy promotes European research, advises governments and international organisations in scientific matters, and furthers interdisciplinary and international research.

"Joining the Academy of Europe is an extraordinary honour, and I am deeply humbled to be elected member," said Sir Ali.

“It aligns with my mission of advancing global health equity and fostering collaboration across borders and disciplines by joining hands together in global efforts to tackle poverty related diseases and infections disease with pandemic potential.

Link:  Academy of Europe: Zumla Alimuddin

Sir Ali reaches a remarkable milestone: 200 publications in the Lancet Journals

Sir Ali has reached a remarkable career milestone with his 200th publication in The Lancet journals. In the past five weeks, he has authored or co-authored several Lancet journals’ articles addressing critical global health issues, including tuberculosis, COVID-19, and artificial intelligence in medicine. Sir Ali has authored a total of 855 publications on Pubmed, published 72 book chapters, and 22 textbooks.

These prolific award winning outputs underscores his global reach and commitment to advancing medical knowledge and improving health outcomes worldwide.

Professor Timothy McHugh, Director of the CCM, said:

"I have worked closely with Prof Zumla for around 25 years. He has always driven the pursuit of innovation, equity and excellence in the field of Global Health and this is reflected in a portfolio of impactful research as well as many international honours. It is appropriate that Sir Ali is honoured on his home turf, by UCLH and UCL, where he reminds us that combining high quality research with dedicated clinical practice can make a real difference on a global scale."

Recent Lancet publications

1. Ala A, Touray MML, Shafi S ... Zumla A. Harnessing faith-based organisations for global health equity. Lancet. 2024 :S0140-6736(24)02614-X.
2. Hui DSC, Yeboah-Manu D, Nachega JB ... Zumla A. 5 years of COVID-19: equity must lead the next pandemic response in a fractured multipolar world. Lancet Respir Med. 2024 25:S2213-2600(24)00382-5.
3. GBD 2021 HIV Collaborators (Zumla A as co-author). Global, regional, and national burden of HIV/AIDS, 1990-2021, and forecasts to 2050, for 204 countries and territories: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet HIV. 2024 Dec;11(12): e807-e822.
4. Imam MA, Abdelrahman A, Zumla A, Ahmed R, Satta G, Zumla A. Intersection of artificial intelligence, microbes, and bone and joint infections: a new frontier for improving management outcomes. Lancet Microbe. 2024 Oct 15: 101008. 
5. Sahu S, Ditiu L, Ahmed R ... Zumla A. Overcoming the global tuberculosis crisis with urgent country-level political and financial action. Lancet Infect Dis. 2024 Nov 19:S1473-3099(24)00748-5.

Image: Sir Ali Zumla with UCLHospitals Board Chair Baroness Julia Neuberger (Right), UCLH Chief Executive Professor David Probert, and Head of UCLH Nursing, Prof Vanessa Sweeney (Left)

Useful links

• Sir Alimuddin Zumla: UCL Profile