CHANDIGARH, 12.03.26-Prof. Dr. Sonu Goel from Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health at the PGIMER, Chandigarh has become the first Indian to receive the prestigious Annual Mira Aghi Award for LMIC Research, conferred by the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT), in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nicotine and tobacco research, tobacco cessation, public health, and tobacco control.
Prof. Dr. Sonu Goel from Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health at the PGIMER, Chandigarh has become the first Indian to receive the prestigious Annual Mira Aghi Award for LMIC Research, conferred by the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT), in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nicotine and tobacco research, tobacco cessation, public health, and tobacco control.The Mira Aghi Award for LMIC Research recognizes SRNT members living and working in Low- And Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) who have made exceptional contributions to nicotine and tobacco science and tobacco control. The award is named after Dr. Mira Aghi, a pioneering tobacco control advocate from India whose work significantly shaped global tobacco control efforts.
The award was announced during the SRNT 2026 Annual Conference, held from March 4–7, 2026, at the Hilton Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, USA, Recognized as one of the most important and influential conferences in the field of tobacco and nicotine research, the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco brings together leading scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and public health experts from across the world to advance cutting-edge research and evidence-based strategies for tobacco prevention, cessation, and public health policy.