Bhola Nath
Keertan Dheda, MBBCh, FCP, FCCP, FRCP, PhD
Professor of Respiratory Medicine
  • Department of Medicine
    University of Cape Town, South Africa
    Phone: + 27 21 406 6509 / +27 84 557 7754
    Email: keertan.dheda@uct.ac.za

Education

  • MBBCh (Wits), FCP (SA), FCCP, FRCP (Lond), PhD (Lond)
  • Professor Dheda a registered Pulmonologist and Respiratory Physician in the United Kingdom and the European Union

 

Biography

Professor Keertan Dheda is a general physician, pulmonologist, and a critical care specialist who heads up the Division of Pulmonology at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town. He is a visiting professor at University College London, and serves at the convenor of the South African National Pulmonology examinations conducted by the College of Medicine of South Africa. 

He has published over 150 papers and peer-reviewed journals see link  and serves on the editorial boards of several high-ranking international journals, including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and Nature Scientific Reports. He is regularly quoted in the national and international press. He has received the several prestigious national and international awards and accolades, including the 2010 International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Scientific Award, the 2013 South African MRC Gold Research Award, the 2014 Oppenheimer Award, and the 2014 National Science and Technology Forum BHP Billiton Research Award.

 

Research Interest

  1. Multi-drug resistant pulmonary infections including TB
  2. The development and validation of field-friendly diagnostics
  3. The immunopathogenesis of TB and other human pulmonary infections, and
  4. Airways disease applications. He has a keen interest in medical education and interventional pulmonology including bronchial thermoplasty, ultrasound-guided mediastinal biopsy (EBUS TBNA) and medical thoracoscopy
  5. His clinical interests include interventional pulmonology, infections in the ICU, and airways diseases (asthma and COPD).

 

Scientific Activities:

Appointments and Positions

He has contributed to several international policy documents and has served on the steering committee of several WHO-sponsored multi-centre clinical trials. His recent work has contributed to the policy recommendations of several bodies including WHO, FIND (Gates Foundation), and the SA National TB Programme. He is co-chair of the latent TB sub-group of the STOP TB partnership. He is recognised for his expertise in drug-resistant TB and serves on several committees (member of the SA National Drug-resistant TB Advisory Board, Drug Resistant-TB Review Board of the Western Cape, and MDR Drug and Therapeutics Committee of the Western Cape). He is regularly consulted nationally on cases of drug-resistant TB, provides outreach and expertise to remote areas of the Northern Cape Province, and serves on the UK MDR-TB National Advisory Network.

2014

Present-Member of the National TB Think Tank (this is a group of experts in South Africa that advise the South African Department of Health and the Minister or Health on matters related to diseases of poverty including TB and HIV)

2013

Present-College convenor for the National Pulmonology Certification Examinations

2013

Present-Head of the credentials committee of the SA Thoracic Society

20122013

Member of the WHO/Europe panel on the role of surgery in the treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Multidrug-and Extensively Drug-resistant Tuberculosis

2012

Present -Member of the Tiotropium (Spiriva) advisory board

2011

Present-Member of the National Aptamer Technology Advisory Group, Department of Science and Technology

2011

Present-Member of Health Sciences Faculty committee for staff performance evaluation

2010

Present-Member of the international taskforce and panel to develop the ECDC/ERS European standards of care guidelines for TB (Standards for Tuberculosis Care project)

2010

Present- Member of the European TB-NET scientific and advocacy group

2010

Present-Member of the SA MDR-TB National Advisory Committee

2009

Present-Co-chair LTBI subgroup of the Stop TB Partnership

2009

Member of the SA National TB Audit in conjunction with the WHO and the NTP

2008

Present-Member of the WHO/ TDR New TB Diagnostics Working Group

2008

Present-Member of the DR-TB Review Board of the Western Cape

2008

Present-Member and Head, M and XDR-TB Therapeutics Committee

2008 – 2011

Journal and website committee, Pan-African Thoracic Society

2008

Present-Programme Committee, Assembly on Microbiology, Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Infections, (MTPI) American Thoracic Society

2007 2012

Department of Medicine Research Committee, UCT

2007

Present-Council member of the South African Thoracic Society

2006

Present-Member of the scientific advisory board on the WHO TB-HAART study

20052010

Council member and co-Director of Postgraduate courses of the Fellowship of Post-Graduate Medicine

Memberships in professional and scientific societies:-

1992

Present-Health Professions Council of South Africa (MP 401757)

1992

Present-General Medical Council – U.K. (4060271)

2000

Present- South African Thoracic Society

2000

Present- American Thoracic Society

2007

Present- Pan-African Thoracic Society

2002 - 2006

British Thoracic Society

2007

Present- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa

2010

Present- American College of Chest Physicians

2002

Present- Royal College of Physicians of London

2011

Present- Critical Care Society of South Africa

2012

Present-South African Immunological Society

Honours and Awards

2014

NSTF-BHP Billiton Award in the category: Contributions to Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) by an Individual through Research Outputs; Oppenheimer Award and Oppenheimer Trust Fellowship

2013

South African MRC Scientific Achievement Award (Gold)

2012

Unit accreditation status at UCT for the Lung Infection and Immunity Unit; which Prof Dheda directs; Finalist in the 2012 NSTF-BHP Billiton Awards in the category: Research leading to Innovation by a team or individual in a Corporate organization or Institution

2011

Award to K Dheda recognising the Lung Infection and Immunity Unit as a WHO-associated ANDI Centre of Excellence for TB Diagnostic Research

2010

International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Scientific Award; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London

2009

Governor, American College of Chest Physicians, South Africa Region

2008

Fellow of the University of Cape Town, EDCTP Senior Fellowship Award

2007

SA National Research Foundation and DST Research Chair Award;  Honorary Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians; South African MRC Career Development Fellowship award (one of the most prestigious accolades bestowed by the MRC)

2006

Pfizer clinician’s award, Queen Mary’s University London, 2005

2004

Bill Foreman Memorial Fund Travel Award

2003

British Lung Foundation Fellowship Award

2002

British Thoracic Society Travel Fellowship; South African Thoracic Society Junior Investigator Award

1999

Astra Zeneca Research Day Award for Best Clinical Paper, Durban, S.A

1998

Suzman Gold Medal, for distinction & outstanding performance in the College of Physicians Fellowship examination

1997

Eli Lilly Award for Best Senior Clinical Presentation, University of Natal

1993

Eli Lilly Award for Best Junior Clinical Presentation, University of Natal

1992

MBChB with distinctions in the subjects of Surgery & Internal Medicine; Exchange Scholarship (4 month clinical attachment), Washington University School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo, USA

1991

Noristan (Pty) Ltd Scroll & Bursary for Academic Achievement

1987

Standard Bank Graduate Scholarship

1987

University Council Certificate of Merit” for Academic Excellence

1986

Top Student in the National Matriculation Examinations (HOD)

 

Publications

  1. Dheda K, Chang JS, Breen RA, Kim LU, Haddock JA, Huggett JF, Johnson MA, Rook GAW, Zumla A. In vivo and in vitro studies of a novel cytokine, Interleukin-4delta2, in Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Am J Resp Crit Care Med. 2005; 172(4):501-8. (Leading journal in the field of respiratory medicine; IF = 13.11; cited 56 times since publication).
  2. van Zyl-Smit RN, Pai M, Peprah K, Meldau R, Kieck J, Juritz J, Badri M, Zumla A, Sechi LA, Bateman ED, Dheda K. Within-subject variability and boosting of T-cell interferon-gamma responses after tuberculin skin testing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009; 180(1):49-58 (Senior author; IF = 13.11; cited 130 times since publication).
  3. Dheda K, van Zyl-Smit RN, Meldau R, Meldau S, Symons G, Khalfey H, Govender N, Rosu V, Sechi LA, Maredza A, Semple PL, Whitelaw A, Wainright H, Badri M, Dawson R, Bateman ED, Zumla A. Quantitative lung T cell responses aid the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Thorax. 2009; 64(10):847-53. (IF = 8.12; cited 45 times since publication).
  4. Patel VB, Singh R, Connolly C, Coovadia Y, Peer AK, Parag P, Kasprowicz V, Zumla A, Ndung'u T, Dheda K. Cerebrospinal T Cell Responses Aid the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Meningitis in a HIV and TB Endemic Population. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;182(4):569-77. (Senior author; IF = 13.11; cited 45 times since publication).
  5. O'Donnell MR, Jarand J, Loveday M, Padayatchi N, Zelnick J, Werner L, Naidoo K, Master I, Osburn G, Kvasnovsky C, Shean K, Pai M, Van der Walt M, Horsburgh CR, Dheda K. High Incidence of Hospital Admissions with Multidrug Resistant and Extensively Drug Resistant Tuberculosis among South African Health Care Workers. Ann Internals Med. 2010;153(8):516-22. (Senior author; IF= 17.81; cited 83 times since publication).
  6. Dheda K, Shean K, Zumla A, Badri M, Streicher EM, Page-Shipp L, Willcox P, John MA, Reubenson G, Govindasamy D, Wong M, Padanilam X, Dziwiecki A, van Helden PD, Siwendu S, Jarand J, Menezes CN, Burns A, Victor T, Warren R, Grobusch MP, van der Walt M, Kvasnovsky C. Early treatment outcomes and HIV status of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet. 2010; 375(9728):1798-807. (IF = 45.21; cited 147 times since publication).
  7. Theron G, Peter J, van Zyl-Smit R, Mishra H, Streicher E, Murray S, Dawson R, Whitelaw A, Hoelscher M, Sharma S, Pai M, Warren R, Dheda K. Evaluation of the Xpert(R) MTB/RIF Assay for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in a High HIV Prevalence Setting. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011;84(1):132-40. (Senior author; IF = 13.11; cited 145 times since publication).
  8. Theron G, Pinto L, Peter J, Mishra HK, Mishra HK, van Zyl-Smit R, Sharma SK, Dheda K. The Use of an Automated Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (Xpert MTB/RIF) to Predict the Sputum Smear Status of Tuberculosis Patients. Clin Infect Dis. 2012; 54(3):384-8. (Senior author; IF= 8.873; cited 20 times since publication).
  9. Theron G, Pooran A, Peter J, van Zyl-Smit R, Mishra HK, Meldau R, Calligaro G, Allwood B, Sharma SK, Dawson R, Dheda K. Do adjunct TB tests, when combined with Xpert MTB/RIF, improve accuracy and the cost of diagnosis in a resource-poor setting? Eur Respir J. 2012; 40(1):161-168. (Senior author; IF= 8.33; cited 28 times since publication).
  10. Patel VB, Theron G, Lenders L, Matinyena B, Connolly C, Singh R, Coovadia Y, Ndung’u T, Dheda K. Quantitative PCR (GeneXpert MTB/RIF) for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in HIV-infected patients from a high burden setting: a prospective study. PLoS Medicine. 2013; 10(10), e1001536. (Senior author, IF = 14.42, cited 43 times since publication).
  11. Theron, G., Zijenah, L., Chanda, D., Clowes, P., Rachow, A., Lesosky, M., Bara, W., Mungofa, S., Pai, M., Hoelscher, M., Dowdy, D., Pym, A., Mwaba, P., Mason, P., Peter, J., Dheda, K. (2013). Feasibility, accuracy and clinical impact of point-of-care Xpert MTB/RIF testing for tuberculosis in primary-care settings in Africa: a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2014; S0140-6736(13) 62073-5. Senior author, IF = 45.21, cited 96 times since publication).
  12. Pietersen E, Ignatius E, Streicher M, Mastrapa B, Padanilam X, Pooran A, Badri M, Lesosky M, van Helden P, Sirgel FA, Warren R, Dheda K. Incurable TB: Long-term outcomes in treatment failures with XDR-TB and resistance beyond XDR-TB from South Africa (a 10-year cohort study). The Lancet. (2014); 383, (9924). 1230-1239.Senior author, IF = 45.21, cited 52 times since publication).

 

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