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The new Genomics of Antimicrobial Resistance (GEN-AMR) Research Unit at CERI aims to strengthen Africa’s response to antimicrobial resistance through genomics, surveillance, bioinformatics, and precision medicine. Led by Dr Emilyn Costa Conceição, the unit brings together interdisciplinary expertise to better understand drug-resistant pathogens, expand genomic surveillance capacity, support public health decision-making, and build research and training networks across Africa and beyond.

text: Dr Emilyn Costa Conceição

 

The establishment of the GEN-AMR Research Unit at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) marks an exciting new step in strengthening pathogen genomics, surveillance, and precision medicine approaches for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Africa and beyond.

Based at the School of Data Science and Computational Thinking at Stellenbosch University, the unit was created to bring together genomics, bioinformatics, epidemiology, and implementation science to better understand the emergence, transmission, and evolution of drug-resistant pathogens of public health importance.

Through GEN-AMR, I aim to bridge cutting-edge genomic technologies with real-world public health and clinical applications, particularly in resource-limited settings. Our work will focus on advancing genomic surveillance systems, developing and implementing innovative sequencing and analytical pipelines, supporting precision medicine initiatives, and expanding regional capacity-building in genomics and bioinformatics. Initially, we will concentrate on high-burden infectious diseases and priority AMR-associated pathogens while fostering interdisciplinary collaborations across Africa and beyond.

My own scientific journey has spanned infectious diseases, microbiology, genomics, and molecular epidemiology. I obtained my MSc in Parasite Biology from the State University of Pará and completed my PhD in Microbiology through a collaboration between the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Paris-Sud University in France. Over the years, I have worked extensively in clinical trials, routine diagnostics, whole-genome sequencing, and genomic epidemiology, with a particular focus on bacteriology, tuberculosis, and mycobacterial diseases. This work has allowed me to contribute to the implementation of genomic surveillance networks, the development of bioinformatics workflows, and the integration of genomics into public health decision-making.

Before establishing GEN-AMR, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow within the Tuberculosis Genomics (TBG) group at Stellenbosch University as part of the Tuberculosis Omics (TORCH) consortium and later expanded my activities within CERI through the GenPath Africa Consortium. Throughout my career, I have coordinated international collaborations involving South Africa, Brazil, and European partners, contributing to projects focused on AMR, genomic surveillance, precision medicine, and capacity development. I also currently co-lead initiatives such as REVIGET and REVIGEN in Brazil, which aim to strengthen genomic surveillance and precision medicine networks for high-burden infectious diseases.

The GEN-AMR unit reflects CERIÂ’s broader commitment to innovation, equitable scientific partnerships, and translational research that generates impact beyond academia. By combining advanced genomic technologies with implementation-focused research and training, we hope to strengthen local and regional responses to AMR while contributing to global efforts in infectious disease preparedness and surveillance.

News date: 2026-06-03

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