Health Sciences Research Review │MARCH 2022 by Wits Faculty of Health Sciences

MARCH 2022

HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH REVIEW

NEWS

RESEARCH

SPOTLIGHT

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Wits researchers form part of a WHO technologytransfer hub that successfully replicated Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.

Population based survey reveals why SA is at a turning point in the pandemic.

Paediatric Health: Examining Clinical Practice Guidelines for Male Circumcision - A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal Using AGREE II.

WRIM Research day 20 April 2022 Jhb Research Conference 20 April

N E W S

Wits part of WHO tech-transfer hub that successfully copies Moderna's COVID vaccine

Researchers at WHO technology-transfer hub complete Doing it alone first step in a project aimed at building capacity for vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries. When the WHO launched its mRNA tech-transfer hub in South Africa last June, it asked Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech to help Wits researchers involved: Professor Patrick Arbuthnot, teach researchers in low- and middle-income countries how to Director of the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU). make their COVID-19 vaccines. But the companies did not respond, and the WHO went ahead without their help. The WHO Researchers at a South African biotechnology company say chose to replicate Moderna’s shot because more information on they have nearly completed the process of reproducing its development is available publicly, compared with Pfizer– Moderna’s mRNA vaccine against COVID-19, without BioNTech’s vaccine, and because Moderna has vowed not to Moderna’s involvement. enforce its patents during the pandemic. The company, Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines in Cape Town, has made only microlitres of the vaccine, which is based on data that Moderna used to make its shot. But the achievement is a milestone for a major initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) — a technology-transfer hub meant to build capacity for vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, developers of mRNA vaccines — Moderna, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Pfizer, in New York City, and BioNTech, in Mainz, Germany — have sent more than 70% of their doses to wealthy nations, according to vaccine-distribution analyses. Meanwhile, millions of doses purchased by or promised to low- and middleincome countries have been delayed.

With funds from countries including France, Germany and Belgium, South African researchers began chipping away at the project in late September. Wits took the lead on the first step: making a DNA molecule that would serve as a template to synthesize the mRNA. Although Moderna has controversially patented this sequence, researchers at Stanford University in California deposited it in the online database Virological.org in March last year. Patrick Arbuthnot, Director of gene-therapy research at Wits says, “We were not intimidated, because mRNA synthesis is a fairly generic procedure.” Despite delays in the shipment of raw materials, the team completed this process in ten weeks and sent vials of mRNA to Afrigen in early December.

On 5 January, Afrigen’s researchers encapsulated the mRNA in a Many steps remain before Afrigen’s mRNA vaccine candidate fatty nanoparticle made of a mixture of lipids. The researchers plan can be distributed to people in Africa and beyond, and it won’t to use Moderna’s lipid mixture as soon as one last analytical help to curb the pandemic this year. But the WHO hopes that instrument arrives. After that, the team will analyse the formulation to ensure that it is truly a near copy of Moderna’s vaccine. the process of creating it will lay the foundation for a more globally distributed mRNA-vaccine industry. *Read the Nature article

R E S E A R C H

Population based survey reveals why SA is at a turning point in the pandemic South Africans had extensive immunity against severe Covid-19 disease and death prior to Omicron, due to high infections in the first 3 waves and vaccination. Wits researchers involved: Lead author, Professor Shabir Madhi, Director of Wits VIDA and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. A recent study in Gauteng, where a quarter of South Africans – some 15.5 million – live, showed that three in four people had been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes Covid19) at least once since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and prior to the Omicron wave in SA in November 2021. The immunity induced by such infection, coupled with the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines to at least one-third of the population, contributed to major decoupling of infections relative to severe Covid-19 that transpired during the fourth wave compared with the three earlier waves in SA. The findings from South Africa indicate that despite breakthrough infections (when people contract the virus after they have been vaccinated) or reinfections (in those with prior history of infections) likely having been common during the course of the Omicron wave, immunity induced by vaccine or past infection generally protected well against severe Covid-19 disease, hospitalisation, and death. The study, titled South African population immunity and severe Covid-19 with Omicron variant was led by scientists at the Wits Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA) and reported in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine on 23 February 2022. The study presents the first peer-reviewed and published data demonstrating decoupling between infections and Covid-19 severe disease and death. About the study The study aimed to determine sero-positivity against SARSCoV-2 before the fourth wave of Covid-19, in which the Omicron variant was dominant.

‘Sero-positivity’ measures for the presence of antibodies against the virus as a metric of past infection – in this case, the SARSCoV-2 virus. Furthermore, the study analysed data provided by collaborators at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on trends in recorded Covid-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths since the start of the pandemic. This was complemented by Covid-19 attributable death rates that were evaluated using excess mortality data obtained from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). Dry blood spots from 7010 randomly selected individuals in Gauteng were tested to determine seropositivity. Findings “The study findings indicate that we have reached a turning point in the Covid-19 pandemic, even in countries with a modest uptake of vaccines, but where there has been a high force of natural infection, which has resulted in a massive loss of lives,” says lead author Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at Wits University, and Executive Director of Wits VIDA. Madhi says that in South Africa, 490 people per 100 000 have died of Covid-19. This puts South Africa in the top 10 countries globally of Covid-19 fatality rates. “When excess deaths are factored in, three times the official figure of 97 000 people in South Africa have died of Covid-19. The actual number of deaths from Covid-19 in South Africa is closer to 300 000 people,” he says. The findings have significant implications for Africa, a continent where vaccines and resources to support vaccine roll out are limited and where hospitalisation for Covid-19 severely constrains public health facilities and resources. Vaccines, however, still have an important role to play in people who have past infection, as other studies have recently shown that such hybrid immunity induces a more robust and broader repertoire of immune responses. *Read the full article

R E S E A R C H

Prevalence and incidence rates of laboratoryconfirmed hepatitis B infection in South Africa Over the five years, the prevalence and test positivity rates were higher in males than females, highest amongst individuals 25 to 49 years old. Prevalence rates were highest in Gauteng province and test positivity rates were highest in Limpopo province. The HBsAg test positivity rate dropped from 9.77% in 2015 to 8.09% in 2019. Amongst HBsAg positive children under 5 years old, the majority (65.7%) were less than a year old. HBsAg testing rates per 100,000 population were higher in females under 45 years of age and in males 45 years and above.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a global public health threat, is targeted for elimination by 2030. As national HBV prevalence and incidence is lacking for South Africa, this study is aimed to provide such data in the public health sector. Wits researchers involved: Dr Nishi Prabdial-Sing; NICD/NHLS and University of the Witwatersrand/Medical Virology/School of Pathology Laboratory-confirmed HBV data of 2,889,687 records from 2015 to 2019 was analyzed to determine the annual prevalence and incidence rates of HBV infection per 100,000 population, HBsAg and anti-HBc IgM test positivity rates, and HBsAg and anti-HBc IgM testing rates per 100,000 population. The national prevalence rate of HBV infection per 100,000 population increased from 56.14 in 2015 to 67.76 in 2019.

WATCH: Dr Nishi Prabdial-Sing, Wits joint staff member stationed at the NICD explains the symptoms of viral Hepatitis.

The national incidence rate of acute HBV infection per 100,000 population dropped from 3.17 in 2015 to 1.69 in 2019. Over the five year period, incidence rates were highest amongst young adults 20 to 39 years old and highest in Mpumalanga province. Amongst individuals 20 to 24 years old, there was a substantial decline in the incidence and anti-HBc IgM test positivity rates over time. Although HBV transmission is ongoing, HBV disease prevalence and incidence is slowly declining in South Africa. Critical to hepatitis B elimination is strengthened infant vaccination coverage and interruption of vertical transmission. Transmission of HBV infection in adults may be reduced through heightened awareness of transmission routes and prevention measures. *Read the full study

R E S E A R C H

Neonatal bloodstream infections and meningitis in South Africa: Baby GERMS-SA

Wits Faculty of Health Sciences together with researchers of corresponding institutions, published a new study that has confirmed South Africa's incidence of bloodstream infections & meningitis (>37k cases), pathogen distribution and antibiotic susceptibility. Wits researchers involved: Professor Cheryl Cohen, Ass. Professor Anne Von Gotteberg and Professor Nelesh Govender. Abstract Worldwide, neonatal mortality remains high accounting for 47% of childhood deaths in 2019 and including an estimated 500 000 deaths from neonatal infections. While 42% of global neonatal deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, there is limited understanding of population-level burden and aetiology of neonatal infections outside tertiary-level institutions. Methods and analysis The study's aim was to implement the first population-level surveillance for bloodstream infections and meningitis among neonates aged <28 days in South Africa. Tier 1 includes national surveillance of culture-confirmed neonatal infections at all public-sector hospitals describing infection incidence risk, pathogen profile and antimicrobial susceptibility by institution, province and healthcare level (2014–2021). Tier 2 (nested within tier 1) conducted at six regional neonatal units over 12 months, compares the clinical characteristics of neonates with early-onset and late-onset infections and identify potentially modifiable risk factors for mortality. Through tier 2, the determine of antimicrobial susceptibility of neonatal pathogens, evaluation of the appropriateness of empiric antibiotic prescribing as well as the genomic epidemiology of multidrug resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Map of South Africa showing relative numbers of laboratory-confirmed bacterial and fungal infectious episodes among neonates diagnosed at each Hospital site, 2016 (n=7124). The six tier 2 sentinel surveillance sites (enhanced sites) are indicated in green. Discussion Unless baseline data on neonatal infections are reliably and systematically collected and analysed, there will be no objective record against which interventions aimed at reducing burden of disease in this vulnerable population can be measured. The Baby GERMS-SA national surveillance system will provide a robust platform to determine national incidence risk of neonatal infection by pathogen, level of hospital care and geographical region. This surveillance study will also be used to assess trends in the incidence risk of neonatal infections over time, thus providing an objective record by which to measure the impact of any intervention implemented in future. *Read the full study

S P O T L I G H T

Paediatric Health

a critical shortage of child-health providers in Africa. Without an adequate number of “There’s trained experts, it’s difficult to make a significant difference in the way a country’s health care

“

system can respond to the needs of infants and children.

- Professor Ashraf Coovadia, Wits Academic Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Examining Clinical Practice Guidelines for Male Circumcision: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal Using AGREE II Male circumcision is one of the most common urologic procedures performed in newborn males,1 with an estimated prevalence of 37%-39% among males globally. Electively, there are numerous reasons why male circumcision may be undertaken. Whilst the most prevalent in the medical fraternity is to protect against adverse medical conditions such as reducing risks of some sexually transmitted diseases in men, there are other bases like religious necessity and cosmetic preference. Wits researchers involved: Dr Karen Milford Research Synopsis From a therapeutic standpoint, male circumcision has been demonstrated to reduce the onset of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and can be medically indicated for the treatment of phimosis, paraphimosis, or recurrent balanoposthitis. A risk-benefit analysis published in the Canadian Journal of Urology demonstrated that the benefits of male circumcision outweigh the risks by approximately 100 to 1, and its lack contributes to adverse medical conditions.

Postoperative complications among circumcised males may encompass minor bleeding, inadequate skin removal, penile adhesions, and meatal stenosis.8-10 Although rare (reported adverse event frequency for infant male circumcision, 1 in 250), severe complications, such as infection or amputation, have been documented in 1 in 20 000 cases in North America. Severe complications were documented in 1 in 1000 cases in a study conducted by Weiss et al that included developed as well as developing countries, in which ritual and poorly performed circumcisions are not uncommon. The medical necessity of male circumcision has not been clearly established, resulting in conflicting clinical practice guideline (CPG) recommendations and inconsistent quality of evidence In a survey distributed to adult men with adverse neonatal circumcision outcomes, respondents not only expressed harm related to their sexual and physical health as well as self-esteem, but also were found to exhibit psychological/emotional troubles stemming from their condition in the form of dissatisfaction, frustration, anger, violation, and betrayal. *Read the full article

F E A T U R E

God and illness: There’s more to healing than medicine

For many people, familiarity breeds trust. Hospitals and clinics can be places of mistrust or uncertainty, in part because they are outside people’s daily lives. Instead, people around the world may place more trust in prayer, worship, and other forms of religious practice and healing when facing physical or mental distress. Wits researchers involved: Lindile Cele

Social and spiritual factors influenced the choices that people in this study made to attain health or healing. Recognising the central role of prayer and spirituality in healing is crucial for clinicians and healthcare providers to understand why treatment focused on self-care and physical repair may not be effective. God, church water and spirituality

God was at the centre of the participants’ conceptualisation of health, illness or death. There was a common belief that God was Anthropologists have long explained that biomedicine faults on a supernatural being who determined what happened to trust because of its focus on fixing bodies as opposed to caring people’s lives. for whole people. This is partly because in many cultures health is perceived as a state of equilibrium. Fixing a part of the body Almost half of participants believed that illnesses were linked to does not necessarily restore balance as the patient perceives it. cultural or spiritual causes – such as bad spirits, curses, bad luck It is not uncommon for people to believe that the cause of their or being bewitched – and that only spiritual interventions and illnesses is a result of curses or punishment from a deity or prayers would heal a person. witchcraft. Our study sheds light on the role of socio-spiritual factors in Individuals may also prefer care from non-medical providers people’s understanding of illness and health, and how they who are part of their culture, speak their language and influence the choices people make to attain health or healing. understand the social issues related to their illnesses. Thus, Recognising the role of socio-cultural nuances – from prayer to many people trust cures that are socially or spiritually linked, such as traditional herbs, incantation, prayers, or soothsaying. ritual – may not only enhance mental health for people with chronic illnesses, but may also truly improve physical outcomes. We interviewed 88 people recruited from a large disease For example, a study among cancer patients found that patients surveillance study in Soweto, South Africa. Anyone who who reported a greater overall religiousness and spirituality had participated in the larger surveillance study was invited to better physical health, greater ability to perform their usual tasks participate in qualitative interviews. Forty-eight of the people and fewer physical symptoms of cancer and treatment. Spirituality we interviewed had been diagnosed with a chronic illness; the has also been important in helping patients retain social roles and others had never been diagnosed with a chronic illness. Those relationships in the face of illness. with chronic illness revealed that they did not rigidly adhere to This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative one system of care but moved between church healing, Commons license. Read the original article. spirituality or biomedicine.

F E A T U R E

Wits partners with TDR on the Postgraduate Training Scheme Support for postgraduate research training in low- and middle-income countries is a core component of TDR’s mission – fostering cadres of skilled professionals in infectious diseases of poverty across Africa, Asia and Latin America, who have become influential in research, public health and policy positions. In a village in eastern Ghana where Comfort Tetteh grew up, many people thought it was normal for a child to urinate blood. But after studying public health, Tetteh recognized this as a sign of schistosomiasis, one of the many neglected tropical diseases that affect her community.

Close-up on Wits School of Public Health Professor Tobias Chirwa, Head of the School of Public Health at the University of Witwatersrand, said that hosting the postgraduate training programme has been a boost for both his institution and sub-Saharan Africa. "The Wits School of Public Health has benefited from the long-term investments from TDR, including the recent funding on implementation research capacity building to support sub-Saharan African postgraduate students,” Chirwa said.

Through its extensive network and rich postgraduate programmes, the School will continue to provide regional training on implementation research and In the districts that I’ve worked in, everything is about tropical diseases,” said Tetteh, who became a collaborate with research and academic institutions in Africa and beyond to develop and implement disease control officer after graduating with a interventions that are relevant and contextual. Bachelor of Science degree.

"I saw Buruli ulcers, I saw leprosy, I saw schistosomiasis, I saw yaws and many other diseases. My job was to implement disease control measures, and my interest grew to go beyond treatment and help people to apply communitylevel measures to prevent the appearance of these diseases," Tetteh said. Tetteh, now a senior public health officer in Greater Accra, recently had the opportunity to learn how to do exactly that through postgraduate training in implementation research at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, with a scholarship from TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases. The University of Witwatersrand is one of seven universities in lowand middle-income countries partnering with TDR on the Postgraduate Training Scheme.

Professor Latifat Ibisomi, the academic coordinator of the training programme at Wits University, said that TDR has enabled the school to “host outstanding students from multi-disciplinary backgrounds across 12 sub-Saharan Africa countries”. These students have conducted country-specific implementation research, thereby transferring their skills to several countries across the continent,” Ibisomi said. “We are thus contributing to the building of a critical mass of implementation researchers who are working to unblock implementation barriers that abound in the region". This article is republished from The TDR News. Read the original article.

A C H I E V E M E N T S

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Prof. Helen Rees

Prof. Yahya Choonara

Theresa Mazarire

Prof Rees was awarded the award by the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, in recognition of her groundbreaking and outstanding medical career.

Prof. Yahya Choonara has been appointed by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla as a Board Member of the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).

Theresa is one of 20 exceptional women to receive the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Program Award for her PhD studies on GIS applications in malaria vector control.

Prof. Laetitia Rispel

Prof. Nasreen Mahomed

Prof. Frederick Raal

SARChI Chair, Prof. Rispel was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of Cape Town.

Head of Department Radiology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, has been elected as Chairperson of the National Academic Heads committee of the RSSA.

Professor of Endocrinology in the School of Clinical Medicine, Prof. Raal was noted as a Highly Cited Researcher in 2021.

A C H I E V E M E N T S

Dr Joel Francis receives an NRF C2 rating He engages in: Research supervision and mentorship of undergraduate, Master, and PhD candidates in Epidemiology, Family Medicine, and Public Health. Health research - areas of interest HIV, Alcohol and Other Drug Use, Mental Health, Implementation Science and Epidemiology (Surveys, Case-Control Studies, Cohort studies, Systematic review and meta-analysis, Cluster Randomized Trials, Randomized Control Trials). Dr Joel Francis is an epidemiologist, and senior researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, School of Clinical Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, and Primary Care.

Dr Francis serves in numerous editorial boards such as the three BMC series journals, the PLOS One journal, the Health Policy and Planning Journal, the BMJ Open journal and the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Before joining Wits, he worked as a research scientist with the National Institute for Medical Research in Tanzania and a research fellow with the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard.

In addition, he is appointed to the Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) of two ongoing randomized trials in South Africa and Tanzania.

NRF Awardees in 2022: 08

Associate Professor Phillippe Gradidge was awarded an NRF C3 rating. A/Prof. Gradidge is based in the Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine within the School of Therapeutic Sciences. His research focus is in obesity epidemiology. Dr Juliana Kagura was awarded an NRC Y1 rating. Dr Kagura is a senior lecturer in the School of Public Health, with a research focus in NCD epidemiology, child health, and implementation research. Dr Natasha Khamisa was awarded an NRF Y2 rating. Dr Khamisa is a lecturer in the School of Public Health, with a research focus in psychology and public health. Dr Nisha Naicker was awarded an NRF C2 rating. Dr Naicker is the Head of Section: Epidemiology and Surveillance at National Institute for Occupational Health and an Associate Professor within the School of Public Health. Her research focus is in environmental health. Dr Karine Scheuermaier was awarded an NRC C2 rating. Dr Scheuermaier is an associate professor in the School of Public Health, with a research focus on sleep, circadian rhythms and health.

A C H I E V E M E N T S

Dr Ekene Nweke awarded an NRF Thuthuka grant 08

The grant was awarded for the period 2022-2024 for a research project titled ‘Functional verification of novel gene targets of pancreatic cancer for future potential therapeutic utility’. Research Synopsis Pancreatic ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with almost an equal amount of new cases and deaths, observed yearly. Individuals of African descent have the poorest prognosis compared to any other racial group. PDAC is resistant to several treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy making surgery the only curative strategy. Hence, the discovery of potential new therapeutic targets that could be explored in the future for therapeutic benefits. Previously, our lab has identified several key genes involved in important signalling pathways by utilizing several cutting-edge techniques in samples from South

African patients. These genes may play important roles in enhancing tumour growth, however, their functions have not been verified in PDAC. Using several various molecular techniques, we aim to demonstrate the functions of these genes in PDAC in vitro models.

Faculty papers in high-impact journals: SARS-CoV-2 incidence, transmission, and reinfection in a rural and an urban setting: results of the PHIRST-C cohort study, South Africa, 2020–21 - The Lancet Infectious Diseases Cheryl Cohen, PhD, Jackie Kleynhans, MPH, Anne von Gottberg, PhD, Meredith L McMorrow, MD, Nicole Wolter, PhD, Jinal N Bhiman, PhD, et al.

Nirsevimab for Prevention of RSV in Healthy Late-Preterm and Term Infants | NEJM Laura L. Hammitt, M.D., Ron Dagan, M.D., Yuan Yuan, Ph.D., Manuel Baca Cots, M.D., Miroslava Bosheva, M.D., Shabir A. Madhi, Ph.D., William J. Muller, Ph.D., Heather J. Zar, Ph.D., Dennis Brooks, M.D., Amy Grenham, M.Sc., Ulrika Wählby Hamrén, Ph.D., Vaishali S. Mankad, M.D., et al., for the MELODY Study Group*

T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike cross-recognize Omicron | Nature Keeton, R., Tincho, M.B., Ngomti, A, Giandhari J, Naidoo Y, Pillay S, Tegally H, de Oliveira T, Bekker L-G, Gray G, Ueckermann V, Rossouw T, Boswell MT, Bihman J, Moore PL, Sigal A, Ntusi NAB, Burgers WA, Riou C., et al.

Rapid epidemic expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in southern Africa | Nature Daniel G. Amoako, Cathrine Scheepers, Josie Everatt, Arshad Ismail, Boitshoko Mahlangu, Anele Mnguni, Thabo Mohale, Gerald Motsatsi, Noxolo Ntuli, Naume Tebeila, Constantinos K. Wibmer, Nicole Wolter, Jinal Bhiman & Anne von Gottberg, Koleka Mlisana, Lesley Scott, Wendy Stevens, Nicole Wolter, Anne von Gottberg, Allison Glass, et al.

A roadmap to increase diversity in genomic studies | Nature Medicine Segun Fatumo, Tinashe Chikowore, Ananyo Choudhury, Muhammad Ayub, Alicia R. Martin & Karoline Kuchenbaecker

O P P O R T U N I T I E S

Upskilling yourself, simplified! The Wits Human Resource Development Unit (HRDU), announced its partnership with Coursera, one of the top-ranked, online learning platforms in the world. This has ushered in a digital, online learning strategy, in which HRDU take the first steps to ensure access to cutting-edge offerings from corporate and university thought-leaders, whilst also building curated programmes for Wits staff.

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O P P O R T U N I T I E S

African Fellowships The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh is offering fellowships for researchers based at the University of the Witwatersrand, to undertake research in Edinburgh in 2022-23. Fellowships can run for two to three months, ideally for December 2022 to January or February 2023. They are for research in any aspect of the humanities and social sciences, although health informatics, rangeland management, inequality studies and digital innovation will be prioritised. We would also particularly welcome applications linked to the themes of the new Institute Project on Decoloniality (IPD'24) taking place at IASH from 2021 to 2024. This project invites scholars to visit Edinburgh and conduct research on the theme of decoloniality, broadly understood. For 2022-23, the Fellowship is available only to researchers based at the University of the Witwatersrand. A bursary of up to £1,300 per month, plus £1,000 travel grants (including visa fees) will be offered to successful candidates.

Fellows will be expected to give a presentation about their research during their stay at IASH, and to provide a project report at the end of their Fellowship. Please see Notes for guidance below for more detail on eligibility and obligations.

date will not be considered. Successful candidates will be notified by email by the end of May 2022 with a formal letter of confirmation to follow; please ensure that you supply a valid email address so that you can be contacted quickly after decisions are made.

The application Applicants should supply a short CV (no more than three pages, listing publications related to your proposal, and up to ten most significant publications) and a project proposal of no more than three pages including a bibliography. In the notes for guidance attached, applicants will also see they are required to give evidence of any contact they have made with researchers at the University of Edinburgh, and of proposed collaboration during and beyond their visit to Edinburgh; those who do make such contact before submitting their applications will be at an advantage. If languages other than English are required for your project, please also outline the degree of your conversational and reading competence in each. If you have received a Fellowship from IASH in the past, please give the title(s), year(s), and stipend amount(s). If you have applied for other grants to support the same project during the same time period, please also list these in your application.

Application procedure

Applicants should also provide one academic reference (which should comment on the research proposal, and can come from a colleague at Wits or another institution) and one letter of support from their head of department or equivalent.

The closing date for the receipt of the next round of applications has been extended to Friday, 1 April at 17.00 SA time (no longer 28 March). Applications should be sent to lynda.murray@wits.ac.za. Applications received after that

Applicants should ask their referees to send their references by email to Lynda Murray at lynda.murray@wits.ac.za by 1st April 2022, 17.00 SA time.

Click here for more Faculty Research Funding opportunities

W H A T ' S

H A P P E N I N G

Events MAR

APR

Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons from the experts

Join the authors of Pandemics and Healthcare: Principles, Processes and Practices as they bring together many of the lessons learnt from the outset of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in an attempt to equip pandemic planning and prevention programmes as we move into the future. Hosted by the editors of the book, Professors Ames Dhai, Daynia Ballot, and Martin Veller, this one-day symposium features prominent guests including Wits DVC: Research and Innovation, Professor Lynn Morris; SA Medical Research Council President, Professor Glenda Gray; and a keynote address by the Dean of the Wits Faculty of Health Science and Professor of Vaccinology, Shabir Madhi. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube.

WRIM Research day

The Wits Research Institute For Malaria (WRIM) carries on the tradition of 94 years of research into malaria in South Africa. It produces top quality research and researchers that benefit malaria control across the African continent. WRIM brings together malaria research groups and individuals within the University of the Witwatersrand to create a critical mass that will consolidate current research, open new avenues of collaborative research and leverage funding.

2022 Jhb Research Conference

Add to calendar

This conference presents an opportunity to share findings of research in Johannesburg Health District. To present, submit an abstract of 250 words (using Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) by end March 2022 to researchjoburg@gmail.com NB: Please label your email subject and all documents with your NHRD number.

Want your research or research-related news to be featured? Email your submission to didi.mmatladi@wits.ac.za

Wits Faculty of Health Sciences Globally competitive, locally responsive.