His primary research interests include pharmacology and management of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis and community-based interventions to improve the care of patients with chronic diseases. Professor Bateman is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and the Board and Science Committee of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and served as President of the South African Thoracic Society for three terms, and on the Executive of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD). He has been the recipient of several honours including the 2014 National Science and Technology Forum BHP Billiton Lifetime Award for Outstanding Contribution to Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation; a Fellowship in the Art and Science of Medicine from the South African Medical Association; the South African Medical Research Council Lifetime Achievement Award (Platinum Medal); and the President’s Award from the European Thoracic Society. He serves on the editorial boards of several international respiratory journals, and has authored more than 300 papers.