Indian virologist Asha Mathur was elected a TWAS Fellow in 2000. She served as head of the Department of General Pathology and Microbiology at Saraswati Dental College in Lucknow, India, and was an emeritus scientist at the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI). She also headed the Department of Microbiology at King George's Medical College in Lucknow, India.

After she passed away, on 1 August 2024, her family established the Asha Mathur Research and Education Trust (AMRET) to ensure that the support she provided in her life to young virologists would continue.

To this purpose, AMRET established a grant for a postgraduate or postdoctoral researcher of an Indian University, for purchasing consumables or supporting local travel.

After evaluation of 15 proposals, a board of eminent Indian virologists selected the first-ever Prof. Asha Mathur Research Fellow. The recipient is Valiyaveettil Sreelakshmi, a student who is pursuing her PhD at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), under the supervision of her professor, Reeta Mani.

Sreelakshmi’s research seeks to evaluate a new, safer way to quantify immunity to rabies by spotting antibodies that can neutralize the virus. Her study will also test the method in real-life conditions and help develop faster, standard ways to diagnose infections. This could lead to better patient care and more effective public health action.

Throughout her career, Asha Mathur made seminal contributions to the understanding of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Her research shed light on how the virus causes disease and how the body responds to infection. She was among the first to demonstrate the transmission of JEV across the placenta in both humans and mice. Through AMRET and the newly established research grant, her work will not be lost but will help build new skills in virology.

Cristina Serra