Abstract

Lalita Ramakrishnan is a Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Cambridge, a Group Leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and a Clinical Consultant in Infectious Diseases at Cambridge University Hospital. She began researching tuberculosis (TB) three decades ago, motivated by the gravity of the disease—TB remains humanity’s most significant infectious disease—and the fascinating biology underlying it. She pioneered the use of transparent and genetically tractable zebrafish larvae to study TB. This model organism has provided important insights into how TB bacteria cause disease and become tolerant to antibiotics. Her work is now translating into clinical studies and trials for human TB.

Lalita will share how she began working with zebrafish, along with stories of how this model has helped identify why certain people are more susceptible to TB and how TB bacteria exploit genetic vulnerabilities. Understanding these pathways has not only led to the development of new drugs for TB but has also revealed new aspects of fundamental biology. Lalita’s work has been recognized with many awards and honours. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences. She is the recipient of the 2024 Robert Koch Award.