Professor Eric Bateman

Professor Eric Bateman’s major research interests include the pharmacology and management of asthma, chronic obstructive airways disease, community-based interventions to improve the care of patients with chronic respiratory diseases, and tuberculosis.

Trained as a specialist pulmonologist, he completed an MD at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1984. One of Bateman’s proudest achievements was, without a doubt, the founding of the UCT Lung Institute. Today he is still full-time director at the institute and an Emeritus Professor and Honorary Life Fellow of UCT. 

Another major achievement has been the adoption of his approach to asthma treatment not only on a local level, but also in international guidelines. 

Bateman delivers invited lectures in approximately 17 countries each year. He is also a regular invited speaker in symposia and plenary sessions at the two major annual congresses in pulmonology: the Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society and the Annual Congress of the European Respiratory Society. Throughout his career he has served with top experts in the fields of allergy and pulmonology, on the scientific advisory boards of nine pharmaceutical companies and acted as a consultant to an additional eight companies on drug development.

He has authored more than 300 publications, and his work has been cited over 9 400 times in the last eight years.

Recent awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award (platinum medal) from the South African Medical Research Council; Alan Pifer Award from UCT for outstanding welfare-related research; Fellowship in the Art and Science of Medicine Award (gold medal) from the South African Medical Association; President’s Award from the European Thoracic Society for his global contribution to respiratory medicine; and Honorary Life Fellowship of the South African Thoracic Society.