NRF RATINGS

C-Rating

We recognise the C-rated scientists – these are established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in the field who are recognised by their peers as having:

• produced a body of quality work, the core of which has coherence and attests to ongoing engagement with the field

• demonstrated the ability to conceptualise problems and apply research methods to investigating them.

C-Rated Researchers

Professor Lisa du Toit Lee Shong

Associate Professor Abdullah Ely

Professor Kennedy Erlwanger

Dr Joel Francis

Associate Professor Philippe Gradidge

Professor Amadi Ihunwo

Professor Hellen Myezwa

Associate Professor Nisha Naicker

Professor Joanne Potterton

Associate Professor Karine Scheuermaier

Y-Rating

We recognise the Y-rated scientists - Young researchers (40 years** or younger), who have held the doctorate or equivalent qualification for less than five years# at the time of application, and who are recognised as having the potential to establish themselves as researchers within a five-year period after evaluation, based on their performance and productivity of quality research outputs during their doctoral studies and/or early post-doctoral careers.

Y-Rated Researchers

Dr Orienka Hellferscee

Dr Juliana Kagura

Dr Natasha Khamisa

Special Graduations

Professor Deborah Glencross

DSc (Med) from Wits

Professor Glencross' thesis was entitled “Panleucogated (PLG) CD4 HIV Immune Monitoring: a difference by disruption”.

Her research focus over the past 25 years has primarily been around the development of novel and affordable laboratory monitoring assays for HIV/AIDS; of note especially, was her development of the substantively cheaper and better quality CD4 test, called panleucogated or PLG CD4.

Since the inception of the South African HIV treatment programme in 2004, more than 40 million PLG-CD4 tests have been across the South African State Health Lab Services, with cumulative savings to South Africa exceeding R8 billion.

Professor Frederick Raal

DSc (Med) from Wits

Professor Raal's thesis was entitled “Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) –three decades of advances in therapy”.

He has played a pivotal role in advancing the treatment for FH both locally and internationally and his thesis describes these advances in therapy over the past three decades. The major focus of his research remains the clinical, biochemical, genetic and therapeutic management of this condition.

Lastly, Raal was named as one of the Faculty’s Most Highly Cited Researchers in 2022. Highly cited researchers publish in ISI indexed journals and their highly cited and hot papers are ranked in the top 1% and 0.1% of all articles by number of citations, respectively.

Professor Laetitia Rispel

DSc (Med) from Wits

Professor Laetitia Rispel became the first African woman to get a Doctor of Science in Medicine degree.

Her thesis was entitled “Transformation of Human Resources for Health in South Africa: Contributions to knowledge and policy”.

The research is a major cross-cutting issue that complements the scholarly contribution to health policy engagement, influence, and capacity building. In addition, Professor Rispel was awarded a Doctor of Science honoris causa from the University of Cape Town in 2022 in recognition of her service and outstanding contribution to the public healthcare sector in South Africa and abroad.