Amidst the serene landscapes of Stellenbosch, The Africa in the World Festival, a prestigious annual event, brought together visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders. The festival, spanning from 12-16 September 2023, served as a hub for influential speakers and attendees, all driven by a shared purpose: to catalyze positive change and sustainable solutions for Africa and its global diaspora.

Stellenbosch University's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) is proud to welcome a new luminary to its ranks, Prof. Lenine Liebenberg, as Chief Researcher in Mucosal Immunology. This addition marks a significant milestone for CERI and the field of immunology as a whole.

CERI at Stellenbosch University: School for Data Science and Computational Thinking is looking to hire a grants manager to expand its grant management unit.

The Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation will be hosting a grant writing and administration workshop Stellenbosch University on the 23-24 October 2023.

As climate change creates a world in which extreme weather is the norm — so too are large-scale, deadly health outbreaks. And these crises aren’t contained to regions — extreme weather in one part of the world can be linked to health outbreaks in another.

Next week in New York, world leaders are expected to make commitments at the United Nations General Assembly on health and climate — two big issues that are closely intertwined.

A Stellenbosch University-led international consortium has been awarded a multimillion-rand grant to help manage future epidemics in Africa. The grant is from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, which funded five international awards. The project is the only one led by Africa.

Stellenbosch University (SU) is leading an international consortium that recently received a grant of five million euros (approx. R101 million) from the European Union's flagship research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe, to better diagnose, monitor and clinically manage current and future epidemics in Africa.

Graeme Dor, a PhD candidate at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), is applying geospatial and molecular epidemiological techniques to enhance understanding of endemic and emerging pathogens, particularly in Africa . He aims to create actionable insights into pathogen dynamics in Africa, establishing systems for ongoing monitoring. His future endeavors will continue to be at the forefront of public health.

This month newsletter’s cover shows the devastation resulting from extreme weather events in Malawi. This is the topic of our main feature article, published this month in Science, that highlights the link between climate change and infectious diseases. We also feature some of the highlights from the recent VEME workshop that was hosted by CERI at Stellenbosch University and brought together 158 individuals from 39 different countries.

This inaugural lecture held on September 5 highlighted two decades of genomics excellence under Prof. de Oliveira's leadership, propelling Africa into a new era of healthcare and research innovation.

In the intricate web of scientific exploration, one thread stands out for its profound influence on clinical research and public health: bioinformatics. The week-long 27th International Bioinformatics & Virus Evolution & Molecular Epidemiology (VEME) Workshop, hosted by the Centre for Epidemic Response & Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University from August 20th to 25th, recently concluded, leaving a trail of insights and inspiration. This workshop showcased the symbiosis between experts and enthusiasts, forging a path into the realm of molecular data analysis and its practical implications.

New RNA sequences show the path that the virus travelled from the Amazon to the densely populated south. Nature highlights our recent paper at Science Advances.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion by world-leading experts on Insights in to viral discovery, One health & big data analysis. Stellenbosch University, 23 August 2023, 5:30pm-7pm. All Wellcome.

This month newsletter’s cover includes a vintage tram on the streets of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, to celebrate the Portuguese President Honoring Prof. Tulio de Oliveira with Order of Merit Medal for Outstanding Scientific Contributions. In recognition of women’s month, we highlight the contributions one of our women scientists who has a passion for capacity building.

In a momentous ceremony Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa presented Prof Tulio de Oliveira with the distinguished Order of Merit Medal.

Zimbabwe, like many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, faces the harsh reality of the HIV epidemic. With a substantial portion of the population affected by the virus, innovative approaches are urgently needed to combat its devastating impact.

Abdualmoniem's life-changing experience in a foreign land became a tale of humanity, generosity, and friendship.

The threat of bat-borne viruses in Southern Africa continues to be a major concern for public health and wildlife conservation. In a bid to shed light on this critical issue, the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) hosted its monthly scientific seminar, featuring esteemed guest speaker Prof. Wanda Markotter, Director of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses at University of Pretoria and a leading expert in zoonotic diseases.

The CERI family is expanding! With the addition of new students and staff, we are excited to showcase our growing team in this month's news and newsletter. Together, we continue to foster an environment of collaboration, innovation, and excellence in research and education. Stay tuned as we eagerly await more talented individuals to join us in the upcoming months!

In a momentous ceremony held at the Coastlands Hotel in Musgrave, Durban, on the evening of July 22, 2023, Professor Tulio de Oliveira was bestowed with the prestigious 2023 Discovery Health Lifetime Leadership Award. The distinguished accolade, presented jointly by Discovery and the KwaZulu-Natal Doctors Healthcare Coalition, recognizes Professor de Oliveira's unparalleled contributions to global thought leadership in the research and scientific fields.

In celebration of Women's Month, we shine a spotlight on an extraordinary woman whose contributions to scientific research and leadership has led to significant breakthroughs in HIV prevention. Meet Dr. Cheryl Baxter, the Head of Scientific Support at CERI.

Time: 12h00 | Wednesday, 26 July 2023, Venue: Room 3073, BMRI, Tygerberg Campus or Online, Presenters: Prof. Wanda Markotter, Director of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria.

Nations with large volumes of outgoing air traffic accounted for a high proportion of variant exports.

In the pursuit of preventing and treating deadly diseases, Derek Tshiabuila, a PhD researcher at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), is delving into the enigmatic realm of viral recombination. With a focus on three highly prevalent viruses in South Africa, Derek's groundbreaking work aims to unravel the secrets of viral evolution, providing invaluable insights into the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies.

[Stellenbosch, June 25, 2023] -The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) proudly announce the launch of the Cluster of Excellence (CoE) named Genomics for Health in Africa, an innovative collaboration aimed at advancing genomics research and improving healthcare outcomes across the African continent. The lead universities for this cluster are Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa, the University of Bern in Switzerland and University of Tübingen in Germany.

Nikita Sitharam, a dedicated bioinformatics Master's student at Stellenbosch University, is revolutionizing epidemic response in Africa through her ground-breaking research on arboviruses genomes. Sitharam's primary focus is the development of innovative dashboards that harness the power of bioinformatics to provide vital information for public health officials and policymakers. Her work has the potential to transform the way arbovirus outbreaks are monitored, analyzed, and combated across the continent.

The Centre for Epidemic Response & Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University (SU) hosted a training focused on exomes preparation, aimed at advancing the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases among paediatric patients. By producing Exomes in South Africa in real-time provides medical professionals the ability to diagnose and develop tailored treatment plans for affected children.

As we enter the winter season in South Africa, our focus shifts to the northern hemisphere. In May, we had the privilege of attending the World Health Assembly, WHO, and the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where we had the opportunity to participate in the launch of the International Public Health Surveillance Network (IPSN). Additionally, Professor Tulio engaged in significant discussions with the Medical Center for International Diseases (MCID) in Bern and the Geneva 2030 Genomics program.

by Prof Frank Tanser, CERI, University of Stellenbosch, Wednesday 31 May 2023 @12h00, BMRI, Tygerberg Campus, Stellenbosch University or virtually