NEWS SPOTLIGHT

KRISP NEWS

From Brazil to Stellenbosch: How One Developer Chose Research and Never Looked Back

There is a particular kind of courage it takes to leave everything familiar and build something new on the other side of the world. On 24 March, at the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Science graduation ceremony, Danilo De Silva walked across the stage to receive his MSc in Computer Science. For Danilo, that journey started not with ambition, but with an invitation.

VEME: A Global Network That Opens Doors Prof Juliana de Araújo’s perspective and advances in wastewater surveillance research.

The 29th International Workshop on Virus Evolution and Molecular Epidemiology (VEME) will take place in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from 6–11 September 2026. Over six intensive days of lectures, practical sessions, and keynote presentations, leading researchers from around the world will provide in-depth training in bioinformatics applied to virus evolution and molecular epidemiology. Participants gain both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to tackle complex genomic questions, contribute to research, and support public health initiatives.

Call for Applications: Metagenomic Virus Discovery Workshop

CERI at Stellenbosch University invite applications for a five-day intensive Training in Metagenomic Virus Discovery. This hands-on workshop will be led by global experts, offering participants practical skills and strategies in virus discovery—from project design to advanced analysis.

the gem - February 2026

This edition of the gem centres on a simple idea: health is interconnected. At CERI, One Health guides how we link genomics, ecology, surveillance, and delivery to build solutions that work in real-world African contexts. We celebrate four CERI and SU PhD fellows awarded the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Fellowship, a KRISP Fellow that got awarded a fellowship to go to Switzerland and welcome Professors Carla Mavian and Jo-Ann Passmore at CERI, whose expertise will strengthen our efforts to bettering public health. Across research and partnerships, one message is clear: with the right alignment, Africa can lead the future of integrated health innovation.

Inside SWEAT Africa 2026 - the gem Feb 2026

Over 440 participants from 15 African countries and 22 countries globally gathered in Stellenbosch on 13–14 February for SWEAT Africa 2026. These included 150+ founders, 100+ students, 50+ investors, 50+ researchers, and 90+ ecosystem builders who came together not simply to present ideas, but to engage across sectors that do not always meet in the same room

Strengthening the Science of Women's Health Research

Prof Jo-Ann Passmore, one of South Africa's leading voices in women's health immunology, joins CERI at Stellenbosch University.

Building Stronger Health Systems Through African Scientific Leadership the gem - Feb 2026

African STARS Fellow, Dr Alex Nka. Across Africa, epidemics do not unfold in laboratories. They unfold within complex systems shaped by funding structures, climate shifts, diagnostic capacity, and policy responsiveness.

PUBLICATIONS SPOTLIGHT

KRISP SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Tracing the spatial origins and spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages in South Africa.
Dor G, Wilkinson E, Martin DP, Moir M, Tshiabuila D, Kekana D, Ntozini B, Joseph R, Iranzadeh A, Nyaga MM, Goedhals D, Maponga T, Maritz J, Laguda-Akingba O, Ramphal Y, MacIntyre C, Chabuka L, Pillay S, Giandhari J, Baxter C, Hsiao NY, Preiser W, Bhiman JN, Davies MA, Venter M, Treurnicht FK, Wolter N, Williamson C, von Gottberg A, Lessells R, Tegally H, de Oliveira T, Nature Communications (2025), 28;16(1):4937. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60081-0:.

Genomic Surveillance of Climate-Amplified Cholera Outbreak, Malawi, 2022–2023.
Chabuka L, Choga W, Mavian C, Moir M, Morgenstern C, Tegaly H, Sharma A, Wilkinson E, Naidoo Y, Inward R, Bhatt S, WilliamWint G, Khan K, Bogoch I, Kraemer M, Lourenço J, Baxter C, Tagliamonte M, Salemi M, Lessells R, Mitambo C, Chitatanga R, Bitilinyu-Bango J, Chiwaula M, Chavula Y, Bukhu M, Manda H, Chitenje M, Malolo I, Mwanyongo A, Mvula B, Nyenje M, de Oliveira T, Kagoli M, Emerging Infectious Diseases (2025), 31(6):. doi: 10.3201/eid3106.240930.:.

Importance of outbreak response research in bridging knowledge gaps on emerging infectious diseases.
Breiman R, Osoro E, Reithinger R, Wang D, Diamond M, Van Voorhis W, Wasserheit J, Rabinowitz P, Mboup S, Hemingway-Foday J, de Oliveira T, Boon A, Schieffelin J, Sempowski G, Moody M, Vasilakis N, Hanley K, Nasimiyu C, Situma S, Ngere I, Kyobe Bosa H, Nyakarahuka L, Bakamutumaho B, Woodson S, Njenga M, BMJ Global Health (2025), 10(6):e018297. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018297.:.

Artificial intelligence for modelling infectious disease epidemics.
Kraemer M, Tsui J, Chang S, Lytras S, Khurana M, Vanderslott S, Bajaj S, Scheidwasser N, Curran-Sebastian J, Semenova E, Zhang M, Unwin H, Watson O, Mills C, Dasgupta A, Ferretti L, Scarpino S, Koua E, Morgan O, Tegally H, Paquet U, Moutsianas L, Fraser C, Ferguson N, Topol E, Duchêne D, Stadler T, Kingori P, Parker M, Dominici F, Shadbolt N, Suchard M, Ratmann O, Flaxman S, Holmes E, Gomez-Rodriguez M, Schölkopf B, Donnelly C, Pybus O, Cauchemez S, Bhatt S, Nature (2025), :.

Spatiotemporal disease suitability prediction for Oropouche virus and the role of vectors across the Americas.
Poongavanan J, Dunaiski M, D’or G, Kraemer M, Giovanetti M, Lim A, Brady O, Baxter C, Fonseca V, Alcantara L, de Oliveira T, Tegally H, medRxiv (2025), doi: 10.1101/2025.02.28.25323068.:.

Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 intrahost genetic evolution in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients from the Kenyan population.
Lugano D, Mwangi K, Mware B, Kibet G, Osiany S, Kiritu E, Dobi P, Muli C, Njeru R, de Oliveira T, Njenga M, Routh A, Oyola S, medRxiv (2025), doi: 10.1101/2025.03.03.25323296.:.

Unveiling novel features and phylogenomic assessment of indigenous Priestia megaterium AB-S79 using comparative genomics.
Adeniji A, Chukwuneme C, Conceição E, Ayangbenro A, Wilkinson E, Maasdorp E, de Oliveira T, Babalola O, Microbiology Spectrum (2025), doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01466-24.:.

KRISP VIDEOS

COVID-19 | News sub-variant being monitored closely
By: Tulio De Oliveira and CERI and KRISP teams

KRISP BIOINFORMATICS TOOLS