CHANDIGARH:
Dr. Kusum Sharma, Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Nodal Officer for Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB) at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has been selected for the prestigious *National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) Women in Medicine Award for 2026.
The national honour recognizes Dr. Sharma’s pioneering, two-decade-long contributions to molecular diagnostics, clinical microbiology, and translational research in extrapulmonary and drug-resistant tuberculosis.
She will be officially honoured with a Scroll of Honor during the NAMSCON 2026 convocation, scheduled for October 10, 2026, at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
Working in a high-burden nation where complex forms of tuberculosis present severe diagnostic challenges, Dr. Sharma has fundamentally transformed the landscape of EPTB and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) management. Her research group has successfully bridged the gap between advanced genomic science and routine clinical care, impacting patient outcomes across India.
Key Scientific and Academic Milestones:
Patented Multiplex PCR Innovation (Indian Patent No. 340788 ): Developed and internationally validated (including at the Jacksonville State Laboratory, USA) a novel multiplex PCR assay that significantly enhances diagnostic sensitivity in paucibacillary conditions such as Tuberculous Meningitis (TBM), ocular TB, and gastrointestinal TB.
Point-of-Care & Decentralized Diagnostics : Pioneered magnetic bead-based and multi-targeted Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays, enabling accurate, battery-operated, instrument-free testing designed for rural and resource-constrained settings.
Global Breakthroughs in Ocular TB: Led the world’s first global report on drug resistance in ocular tuberculosis, establishing clinical criteria that revolutionized intraocular TB diagnosis and care.
National Leadership on INDEX-TB Guidelines: Served as the Lead Microbiologist for the national Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Guidelines for India (INDEX-TB Guidelines), formulated by the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in collaboration with the WHO and AIIMS, New Delhi.
Advanced Genomic Surveillance & Make-in-India Integration: Extensively evaluated indigenous platforms like the Truenat MTB-plus assay under the Make in India initiative, while leading cutting-edge research projects involving High-Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing (tNGS), Long-Read Nanopore Sequencing, and CRISPR-Cas12a diagnostic platforms.
Excellence in NTM Identification: Standardized molecular, sequencing-based, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry protocols for species-level identification of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria, transforming PGIMER into a major national referral center for complex NTM cases.
Dr. Sharma’s election to the NAMS “Women in Medicine” 2026 cohort underscores her enduring commitment to medical excellence, academic leadership, and alleviating the suffering of patients with complex mycobacterial infections.
