Becomes the first Pakistani to receive a prestigious award for his contribution to public health and applied research
Renowned Pakistani scientist Dr. Nousheen Zaidi. Photo:X
Renowned Pakistani scientist Dr Nousheen Zaidi has become the first Pakistani to receive the prestigious Georg Forster Research Award.
Dr. Zaidi, Professor at the Public Health, Environment and Applied Research Laboratory (PEARL) of the Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (IMMG), Punjab University, received this honor in recognition of his academic and research contributions.
The Georg Forster Research Prize is awarded annually by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to internationally renowned scholars from developing and transition countries in recognition of their research achievements. The prize is named after the German ethnologist Georg Forster (1754-1794) and is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. It benefits from research funding of 60,000 euros.
To honor Dr Zaidi’s achievements, Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Islamabad, Arno Kirchhof, hosted a reception for eminent academic and scientific representatives at the Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus in Lahore on Friday evening.
Great moment for science!👏
Dr. Nousheen Zaidi becomes the first 🇵🇰i to receive the prestigious Georg Forster Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 🇩🇪
A leader in public health and community impact, connecting cutting-edge research with local solutions. Inspiring! pic.twitter.com/V9aoyGj3j1– Ina Lepel (@AllemandinPAK) April 25, 2026
A significant achievement for the Pakistani scientific community. Nousheen Zaidi has become the first Pakistani recipient of the prestigious German Georg Forster Research Prize, recognizing her outstanding contributions to research and academic excellence.
This step highlights… pic.twitter.com/s2xmYemHcX
– Pak Asia Youth Forum (@payf_official) April 25, 2026
She holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Tübingen, Germany, and previously worked at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Janssen Pharmaceutical.
Beyond her laboratory research, Dr. Zaidi is Director of the Action Research Collective (ARC), through which she leads a national water quality mapping initiative that spans several cities in Pakistan.
She also manages the Roshan Clinics initiative focused on stunting, working through community interventions to address key public health challenges. His work has been described as an integration of advanced scientific research with grassroots impact.
