Ben J. Marais MBChB, MMed, MRCP, FRACP, PhD

Professor Ben Marais is a pediatrician and pediatric infectious diseases specialist with an interest in global health. He is internationally renowned for his work on childhood and multidrug-resistant (MDR)-tuberculosis (TB). He serves on the executive committee of the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Tuberculosis Control and is a founding member of the Australasian Tuberculosis Forum. He is a strong advocate for Australia to take a leadership role in coordinating enhanced TB and MDR-TB control efforts in the Asia-Pacific region. More broadly, as deputy-Director of the Marie Bashir Institute, he works toward creating a dynamic multi-disciplinary research community in infection, immunity, and biosecurity. Professor Marais trained as a pediatrician in South Africa and worked in the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, and the USA.

He described the natural history of childhood TB from the pre-chemotherapy literature and conducted a large, prospective cohort study to document TB incidence and disease diversity among children in Cape Town. As Acting Director of the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, his interest in the health of underserved populations inspired a comprehensive review of health care delivery in rural and remote areas.