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We share with great sadness that our long-time friend and colleague, Professor Dr. Shamala Devi Sekaran, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on 19 December, 2025, at the age of 71. With the passing of Professor Dr Shamala Devi, the dengue virology and immunology community has lost an eminent leader who has shaped the scientific landscape of virology and infectious disease research for decades.

Professor Shamala Devi Sekaran is a nationally and internationally recognised leader in virology, immunology, and infectious diseases, with a career spanning more than four decades marked by scientific rigour, translational innovation, and sustained capacity building across Asia and beyond.. Trained initially in biology and genetics at the Universiti Malaya, she went on to obtain her PhD in 1986. She joined the Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, progressed through the academic ranks to Associate Professor in 1996 and Professor in 2003,and retired in 2017.

From 2003 onwards, as Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre and Head of the Virology Diagnostic Unit at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, she led major advances in real-time PCR–based diagnostics, resulting in the development of multiple licensed diagnostic kits for dengue, cytomegalovirus, encephalitis-causing viruses, respiratory viruses, and influenza subtyping. As Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus Reference and Research, Professor Shamala played an important role in strengthening dengue surveillance and laboratory diagnostics in the Asia-Pacific region. She contributed to WHO–supported activities, including the evaluation of dengue diagnostic tests, development of laboratory standards, and training of laboratory personnel. Through collaboration with WHO and TDR programmes, she supported regional studies and workshops that improved consistency in dengue diagnostics and informed public health responses to arboviral outbreaks. Her leadership at the WHO Collaborating Centre enhanced regional preparedness and affirmed her standing as a respected authority in dengue research and diagnostics.

Prof Shamala made important contributions to dengue immunology and disease pathogenesis, focusing on T-cell responses, cytokine profiling, HLA associations, genetic susceptibility, and mechanisms underlying plasma leakage and severe disease. Her work bridged clinical observation with immunological mechanisms, helping to clarify immunological risk profiles associated with disease severity and asymptomatic infection, with multiple peer-reviewed publications contributing to global understanding of dengue host–pathogen interactions.

Beyond dengue, her broader impact in infectious diseases and virology is reflected in over, 250 peer-reviewed publications, more than 25 patented innovations, the supervision of over 60 undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows, and extensive service on editorial boards and international review panels. Her leadership has been recognised through numerous national and international awards, including Top Research Scientist of Malaysia (2015), Distinguished Professor (2016), Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (2017), Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (UK), and Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). Collectively, Prof Shamala Devi Sekaran’s career exemplifies sustained excellence, innovation, and real-world impact in virology, immunology, and infectious diseases.

We remember and honour the life of Professor Dr. Shamala Devi, whose profound contributions and inspiring legacy will remain in our hearts forever. She will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her, and her legacy will endure through the lives she touched and the science she advanced.