MONITORING: Pakistani-American doctor Habib Chotani has won the Scientific Achievement Award (SAA) 2016 from the NATO Science and Technology Organization for his performance in research on medical countermeasures against biological agents.
He is a recognised expert in the identification, surveillance and diagnosis of human and zoonotic infectious diseases. His success in the academic field includes establishing and directing the Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Alert System (GIDSAS) at John Hopkins University.
Dr Chotani has worked in the healthcare industry, government and academia, advanced development of vaccines, therapeutic and diagnostic countermeasures, and bio surveillance.
Dr Chotani has spent more than 20 years in providing bio security and public health expertise to both public agencies and private industry, reports said.
In Pakistan, Dr Chotani helped in upgrading the Early Warning system at the National Institute of Health (NIH), developed and furbished the Epidemic Investigation Cell (EIC) with basic infrastructural needs as well as housed six qualified epidemiologists to assist in disease surveillance.