Prof.Hussain is a Ghulamali Hirji prof., Dept. of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, and HEC dist. Natl. Professor.
Prof. Hussain specializes in immunology of infectious diseases. Her early research work which was carried out at Johns Hopkins University and National Institutes of Health in USA and was recognized internationally focused on the key properties of allergens and natural mechanisms which protect against allergies in human parasitic diseases. At The Aga Khan University her major focus shifted to mycobacterial diseases (leprosy and Tuberculosis) where she identified biomarkers for early diagnosis and pathogenesis. She has published 137 full length papers in International Journal and has an Impact factor of 4358, H-index 37 and i10-index of 93. She obtained her M.Sc (microbiology, 1967), Karachi University, and was awarded a gold medal for obtaining first position; PhD (immunology, 1973), University of Western Ontario, Canada.
She is an elected fellow of Royal College of Pathologists; Pakistan Academy of Sciences; Islamic World Academy of Sciences, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), elected member of the TWAS Council. The council also elected her as Vice President for Central and South Asian Region in 2012. She was designated Patron-in Chief for Pakistan Society of Immunology in 2012, elected council member, Intl. Leprosy Assoc.; member, Governing body Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center. She has received Berson-Yallow award, from the American Society of Nuclear Medicine, USA for developing a radioimmunoassay for parasite allergens; AKU University Award for excellence in research; TWAS Prize in Basic Medical Sciences; lifetime achievement award, Pakistan Societies for Pathology, Tamghe-i-Imtiaz and Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Govt of Pakistan; She has been listed in “the top 20 most influential women in science in the muslim world in January 2014.”
Prof. Hussain was elected as a Fellow of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences in 2008.