HumGen_UCT

21/07/2025

Very proud of our member, Dr Vicky Nembaware, who will be presenting along with Prof Nicola Mulder at the Africa CDC

💡 How can Africa build its talent pipeline for the next frontier in public health innovation?

Join Africa CDC and leading experts on 31 July for a high-level dialogue exploring how clinical genetics, genetic counselling, bioinformatics, and clinical trial platforms can transform health outcomes across the continent.

→ 31 July 2025
→ 13:00–14:30 (EAT)
→ Register today: rb.gy/6vxr2o

18/07/2025

Congratulations to Sameeh Karstens and Siphenati Ntoba

07/07/2025

Tribute to Professor Trefor Jenkins (24 July 1932 – 2 July 2025)

It is with deep respect and sadness that we mark the passing of Emeritus Professor Trefor Jenkins, a luminary in South African Human Genetics, and a dear colleague across institutional lines.
As long-serving Head of the division of Human Genetics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Prof Jenkins’ tenure overlapped substantially with that of my own time (under the late Professor Beighton’s headship of Human Genetics) at the University of Cape Town. He was, quite simply, a perfect gentleman—gracious, rigorous, and profoundly humane. Though he led a sister Division at opposite ends of the country, his work and character resonated far beyond Johannesburg, but internationally. Professor Jenkins was a pioneer: a scientist of broad and deep impact, a teacher of generations, and a fearless advocate for ethical conduct in medicine and science. His contributions to our understanding of genetic diversity in African populations, the development of diagnostic services, and the teaching of medical ethics remain foundational. But what set him apart was the way he carried this weighty work—with gentleness, humour, and a firm moral compass.
His stance during the tragic events surrounding Steve Biko's death, and his ongoing advocacy for justice in health care, serve as enduring reminders of how a scientist can also be a citizen of conscience. Many of us in the UCT Division owe a great intellectual and professional debt to Trefor—whether directly through mentorship or indirectly through the spaces he helped shape and the standards he set. The South African genetics community is richer for his contributions and poorer for his loss.
To his family, colleagues, and students—past and present—we extend our heartfelt condolences. His legacy endures not only in the annals of science, but in the lives he shaped and the ideals he championed.
Go well, Trefor. You were, truly, a good man in Africa.

Emeritus Prof Raj Ramesar
Division of Human Genetics
University of Cape Town

Photograph credit: The Lancet, Volume 365, Issue 9474, 1843

04/07/2025

108 Jars of Hope!! ⭐️

This is a heartfelt project that aligns with our commitment to community service and making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need.

Thanks to everyone who contributed ingredients and/or their time.

30/06/2025

Genetic ancestry is much more complicated than how people report their race and ethnicity. New research, using data from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) "All of Us" Research Program, finds that people who identify as being from the same race or ethnic group can have a wide range of genetic...

27/06/2025

"Details of the project were given to BBC News on the 25th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project, which mapped the molecules in human DNA"

Scientists start a controversial project to create the building blocks of human life, in what is thought to be a world first.

08/06/2025

📢 Join us for the Honours Proposal Presentations, and hear about the research projects they'll be doing this year! 🥼🧪🧬⚡️

06/06/2025

Some of our members braving the cold on this chilly First Friday ❄️
1 Medical Geneticist, 2 Genetic Nurses, 1 Pharmacogeneticist, 1 Genetic Counsellor ..and a partridge in a pear tree 🙃🍐🌳

29/05/2025

From Rare Diseases South Africa NPO 120-991:

On May 24, 2025, the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) adopted a landmark resolution that officially recognized rare diseases as a global public health and equity priority. This is a milestone moment for the global rare disease community. The adoption of this Resolution by WHO Member States marks a powerful step forward in ensuring equity, visibility, and inclusion for the 300 million people living with a rare disease around the world.

The inclusion of rare diseases on the WHA agenda, and the unanimous adoption of a resolution signals a profound shift in global health governance. It means:
• Rare diseases are now part of the WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work (GPW14), ensuring they are integrated into the organization’s strategic priorities from 2025 to 2028.
• It commits all 194 WHO Member States, including South Africa, to:
o Make rare diseases part of national health plans and Universal Health Coverage (UHC
o Improve access to diagnosis, treatment, and mental health services
o Train healthcare workers to better understand rare diseases
o Collect data and support research
o Involve patient groups in shaping the way forward
• The WHO will now develop a 10-year Global Action Plan on Rare Diseases (2025–2038), with input from patient advocates around the world.

The Resolution for Rare Diseases has been accepted at the WHA78 in Geneva

https://www.rarediseases.co.za/post/adoption-of-resolution-for-rare-diseases-has-been-passed-at-wha78-in-geneva