Dharam Vir Ablashi (October 8, 1931 – June 26, 2023) was an American biomedical researcher born in Lahore. He is best known for his co-discovery of Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), an immunosuppressive and neurotropic virus that can cause encephalitis and seizures during a primary infection or when reactivated from latency in immunosuppressed patients.[1]
Ablashi earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine at Panjab University Veterinary College. He then received his diploma in bacteriology from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute before moving to the United States, where he earned his Master of Science degree in pathology and virology at the University of Rhode Island. He died on June 26, 2023, at the age of 91.[2]