Sir Zumla’s research focuses on killer infectious diseases affecting adults and children globally. His R&D networks span across all continents.

1). RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS (RTIs):Tuberculosis (TB), TB-HIV/AIDS co-infections, MERS,COVID-19, Community & Hospital acquired pneumonia. Transmission of RTIs including AMR at mass gathering religious and sporting events. A novel 'Mass Gatherings Medicine' initiative with several basic science, translational clinical and operational studies on infections with epidemic potential.

2). EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES with epidemic potential which threaten global health security: i).Multi-drug resistant TB. ii).Zoonotic infections (MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, COVID-19, EBOLA, Chikungunya, Monkeypox, Lassa Fever, Dengue, iii).Antibiotic resistant pathogens.
a). ONE-HUMAN-ENVIRONMENTAL-ANIMAL HEALTH (ONE-HEALTH): EPIDEMIOLOGICAL, PATHOGENESIS, TRANSLATIONAL CLINICAL & AUTOPSY STUDIES: Sentinel cross-continental epidemiological and clinical studies defined the importance of TB, and showed the emergence of extensively drug resistant TB in Eastern Europe and Southern Africa. Pioneering community and hospital based autopsy studies of children and adults defining pathogenesis of killer RTIs including TB, SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.
b) CLINICAL TRIALS EVALUATING DIAGNOSTICS, DRUGS AND HOST-DIRECTED THERAPIES: Sir Zumla leads several international, multi-country collaborative networks between academics, health care workers, healthcare providers, and policy makers for the conduct of multi-centre GLP/GCP clinical trials.
c). RESEARCH INTO THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF KILLER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS INCLUDING MDR-TB, MERS-COV AND SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19):Laboratory and translational clinical research on longitudinal cohorts ofpatients is leading to development and evaluation of rapid POC diagnostics and biomarkers for response to treatment, cure and relapse. Novel biomarkers of cytokine ratios, urine and filter paper based TB diagnostics tests have been developed. Evaluation of new and novel rapid TB diagnostic technologies in inpatient paediatric and adult wards.
d). AUTOPSY AND PATHOGENESIS STUDIES:
Sir Zumla and teams are renowned for their leadership of autopsy studies of children and adults.