Allan R. Ronald (born August 24, 1938) is a Canadian doctor and microbiologist. He has been instrumental in the investigation into sexually transmitted infections in Africa, particularly in the fields of

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

/ AIDS. Ronald is the recipient of multiple awards and honours.

Life and education

Ronald was born in

Portage la Prairie, Manitoba Portage la Prairie () is a small city in the Central Plains Region of Manitoba, Canada. As of 2016, the population was 13,304 and the land area of the city was . Portage la Prairie is approximately west of Winnipeg, along the Trans-Canada Hi ...

in 1938 and received bachelor's and medical degrees from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

Hospital, the Institute for Medical Research in Lahore, Pakistan and the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

. He joined the University of Manitoba medical faculty in 1968, attaining the rank of full professor in 1976; he headed the departments of medical microbiology (1976–1985) and internal medicine (1985–1990) and served as the associate dean of research from 1993 to 1999. He completed visiting professor posts at the universities of Nairobi and Hong Kong. He also served as head doctor at the Health Sciences Centre and as head of the infectious-diseases department at St. Boniface General Hospital. In 1980, Ronald created "one of the first clinical investigation units exploring sexually transmitted infections in Africa" at the

University of Nairobi The University of Nairobi (uonbi or UoN; ) is a collegiate research university based in Nairobi. It is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution dates back to 1956, it did not become an independent univer ...

. According to a University of Winnipeg citation for an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

, the program Ronald developed has resulted in

groundbreaking findings solving some of the major mysteries surrounding the transmission and spread of AIDS. It has been called the most important research site in the developing world for HIV/AIDS with 700 abstracts or publications arising from it. It has also been pivotal in understanding the disease in Africa and resulted in important programs to help prevent the spread of the HIV/AIDS.

After retiring from his university position in 2000, Ronald created a distribution system for HIV/AIDS drugs in Uganda, moving there for three years beginning in 2003. Ronald has served as Governor of the

American College of Physicians The American College of Physicians (ACP) is a national organization of internists, who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults.Sokanu "What is an Internist?" Retrieved October 20, 2014 With 161,000 members, ACP is the largest ...

and as President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Awards and honors

Ronald received an honorary doctorate from the

University of Winnipeg The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg, UW) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and kinesiology and applied health as well as gra ...

in 2006. That same year, he received the

Gairdner Foundation Wightman Award The Canada Gairdner Wightman Award is annually awarded by the Gairdner Foundation to a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of medicine and medical science. Award winners SourceGairdner- Past Recipients{{columns-list, c ...

. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

, and was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2011, he was awarded the 2010

Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada The Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada (AMMI Canada) is a Canadian national medical specialty association composed of specialists in infectious diseases and medical microbiology, clinical microbiologists and research ...

Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of "his long dedication to the prevention and treatment of human infectious diseases and the education of many generations of physicians..."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ronald, Allan 1938 births Living people People from Portage la Prairie Canadian infectious disease physicians Canadian microbiologists University of Manitoba alumni Academic staff of the University of Manitoba Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Officers of the Order of Canada