The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) was established in 1969 to conduct and fund health research, health innovation, development, and research translation. The SAMRC focuses on the top 10 causes of mortality, morbidity, disability, and associated risk factors. The scope of research includes laboratory investigations, preclinical and clinical research, and public health studies.

As part of the GloPID-R Network, the SAMRC is well positioned to enable research collaboration and excellence among scientists on the African continent to respond to global health challenges. For example, the SAMRC is funding health research to develop a rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic assay for Ebola virus infection. The development of POC tests would be a medical innovation that would vastly improve the rapid detection of infected patients, clinical decisions, and far more efficient containment measures and patient management. This technology, if successful, would serve as the blueprint for other infection control measures and tools of international public health threats.

In July 2019, the SAMRC launched a genomics research centre in partnership with the Beijing Genomics Institute. The Centre conducts genomics research to address the growing disease burden of South Africa and builds towards a future where 4IR is a major component in African healthcare.

More than 50 whole genome experiments have been conducted, and the SAMRC – together with the DSI – has made a number of awards to help in understanding the basis of treatment failure for non-communicable disease treatments in Africa; and setting up a pilot project around HIV elite controllers, where genetics are believed to be a major contributing factor in disease management.

Even in this state of flux, the SAMRC remains responsive to change, continuing its journey of growth and innovation.

The SAMRC is engaged in a wide spectrum of research areas related to COVID- 19.¹⁾

Executive Board

The chair and co-chairs are elected by our members during the Annual General Assembly. Chairs serve three years with the option to renew for a second term.

Charu Kaushic - Chair Scientific Director, Institute of Infection & Immunity, CIHR

Jeremy Farrar - Director, Wellcome Trust

Barbara Kerstiens - Head of Unit, Research & Innovation DG, European Commission

Shoji Miyagawa - Former Managing Director, Department of Innovation & Clinical Research Center Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)

Charles Shey Wiysonge - Senior Director at the South African, Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

Yazdan Yazdanpanah - Director, INSERM-ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases Agency

The GloPID-R Secretariat provides scientific, strategic, organizational, financial and administrative support for the Executive Board and our members. It oversees GloPID-R communications, facilitating information sharing among our members and stakeholders while raising visibility of our global coalition and its activities.

Hans-Eckhardt Hagen - Scientific and Advocacy Director

Lisa Mills - Communication Officer

Nicolas Pulik - Regional Development Officer

Kristina Ruze - Administrative & Events Manager

Mary Shaffer - Communication and Advocacy Manager

Jason Soffe - Digital Communications Manager

Richard Vaux - Head of Operations

Scientific Secretariat -

Emilia Antonio - Research & Policy Officer

Isabel Foster - Research & Policy Officer

Susan Khader - Research & Policy Officer

Alice Norton - Scientific Manager

Louise Sigfrid - Clinical Research Specialist

Moyna de Sélincourt - Administrative Assistant ²⁾