Faculty of health sciences During 2013, the Faculty of Health Sciences significantly grew its research enterprise while effecting change at the highest level with a new dean and a new deputy dean for research. They are custodians of a faculty that has placed UCT in 53rd position among “clinical, pre-clinical and health” universities globally in the 2013/2014 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. 308 uct research report / 2013–14 DEAN’S REPORT Professor Wim de Villiers OUR ONGOING CHALLENGE IS TO maintain AND IMPROVE THE HIGH QUALITY OF OUR RESEARCH WHILE BUILDING RELEvant COLLABORatiONS AND GROWING OUR INCOME TO FUND NOT ONLY RELEvant STUDIES BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THEM EFFICIENTLY. The Faculty of Health Sciences makes a vital contribution to UCT’s research income. We signed 747 research contracts in 2013, valued at just under R558 million. This is a 42% increase from 2012 and represents 57% of the university’s income. The faculty receives income from a wide range of national and foreign funders, and it has been encouraging to witness the recent partnering of local medical research funders with major international bodies to support 109 health sciences research in South Africa. The faculty’s NRF-rated researchers research publication output also continued to grow. These publications arise from all our departments and the numerous research groups spread across them, many promoting interdisciplinarity through cross-departmental R557.95m interaction. Twenty-four of these groupings are accredited by the University Research Committee (out of UCT’s total of value of Research 73), the most recent accreditations being the Lung Infection and Immunity Unit and the HIV Mental Health Research contracts Unit. Eight of these are South African Medical Research Council (MRC) units, which, in alignment with MRC goals, focus increasingly on the health priorities of the country. The MRC also awarded four merit awards to UCT Health Sciences academics in 2013 (see p168). These are not the only recent awards garnered by faculty academics. Professor Valerie Mizrahi, director of the 1 691 Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine registered POSTGRADUATES (IDM), was awarded the prestigious Christophe Mérieux uct research report / 2013–14 309 Prize in 2013 for infectious disease research in R37 million. During two graduation ceremonies, developing countries (see p168). Professor Tim we awarded 70 honours, 181 master’s and 53 PhD Noakes, director of the UCT/MRC Research Unit for degrees, as well as 163 postgraduate diplomas, across Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, received a a wide range of disciplines. This is the highest number Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Business of postgraduate degrees and diplomas ever awarded in Awards in acknowledgement of his expertise in the one academic year by the faculty. field of exercise research. Professor Brian Rayner, head of the Division of Nephrology/Hypertension, Participation in health research is also encouraged at won the respected 2014 World Hypertension League the undergraduate level, where we hope to inspire Award for Notable Achievement in Hypertension, students to contribute to knowledge generation and while Professor Karen Sliwa, director of the Hatter develop research skills. The annual Health Sciences Institute for Cardiovascular Research, received Undergraduate Research Day again successfully the Paul Morawitz Award for her research into engaged students in October 2013. One hundred cardiovascular prevention, heart failure and the undergraduate students from across the faculty pathophysiology of cardiomyopathy (see p167). took part. Twelve oral presentations were delivered, and 25 posters presented. These were selected for Evidence that our researchers are continuing to inclusion by a committee of senior staff members and perform at a high level is also apparent from the subsequently judged by a panel of clinical science, 2014 National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings. basic science, health and rehabilitation and public During this cycle, the faculty grew its NRF A-, B- health academics. and C-category ratings to yield a total of 109 rated researchers, which includes the 17 that are held by young researchers in the Y category. UCT increased FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS its number of prestigious A ratings to 35, with health sciences receiving our 12th coveted A rating OF THE past YEAR, AND in Emeritus Professor Robin Wood, director of the THE INVIGORatiON OF Desmond Tutu HIV Centre (see p166). CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP The faculty was home to 119 postdoctoral research AND NEW initiativES, WE fellows during 2013, more than a third of UCT’s 318. This is an increase of 20 fellows from 2012, again EXPECT OUR RESEARCH reflecting the growth of the research portfolio in ENTERPRISE TO CONTINUE health sciences. Between them, our postdoctoral fellows received 188 fellowships, valued at over TO DELIVER BIGGER AND R22 million. A further reflection of UCT’s efforts to BETTER advancES IN foster successful health researchers is the growth of its Emerging Researcher Programme. During 2013, SCIENCE AND HEALTH. 150 of the faculty’s academics participated in the programme, compared to six in the first year of the programme 10 years ago. This capacity-building initiative provides research development grants, workshops and mentoring to emerging researchers, strengthening their profiles and preparing them for Two exciting faculty initiatives that kicked off future research leadership. in 2013 are the Cancer Research Initiative and the UCT Clinical Research Centre (CRC). The aim In 2013, the faculty was home to around 2 000 of the Cancer Research Initiative is to promote postgraduate students, roughly a quarter of UCT’s total. translational cancer research by encouraging greater PhD candidates made up 360 of these, with 88 honours collaboration among basic, clinical, rehabilitative students and a large contingent of 1 243 master’s and public health researchers and building research students. We also housed 38 occasional postgraduate capacity. Early work on the initiative has included students and 247 studying for postgraduate diplomas. conducting a cancer situational analysis, discussions The faculty is committed to fostering the growth of with internal and external role players, cancer human research capacity and our postgraduate training seminars and work towards development of a is in keeping with national priorities, supporting the strategic plan. The CRC, on the other hand, aims South African government’s target of 1 000 new PhD to provide expertise and support for the design, enrolments in health sciences by 2022. A total of 539 development, management, analysis and publication of our health sciences postgraduate students received, of high-quality clinical trials and other studies. This between them, 809 scholarships, to the value of will include support for activities such as project uct research report / 2013–14 management, regulatory submissions, quality A-rating for HIV/AIDS pioneer assurance and data management. Support is cross- faculty and initial activity has included presentations and site visits to groups actively engaging in clinical research, facility development, pilot project support, and development of standard operating procedures, guidelines and training material. Pilot work of both the Cancer Research Initiative and the CRC were funded through the UCT research incentive scheme. The faculty released a call in April 2013 for proposals for novel projects to incentivise research and five awards were granted. The other three were the creation of an evidence-based medicine research support unit, the establishment of a microbiome research platform and the development of a discipline-independent clinical information and experimental data portal. A second faculty funding initiative, funded by a Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Award, was the Top Soft-Funded Academic and Research Staff (SFARS) scheme. In this initiative, merit-based awards were Emeritus Professor Robin Wood, director of the offered to SFARS in recognition of the significant role Desmond Tutu HIV Research Centre at UCT, was played by this component of our staff. Applications awarded a National Research Foundation (NRF) A2- were competitive, with review by an independent rating in the 2013 round of ratings, pegging him as a committee, and were judged in two categories. In world leader in his field, and bringing the faculty’s tally the Associate Professor/Professor category, awards of A-rated scientists to 12. were given to Professor Linda-Gail Bekker (Desmond Tutu HIV Centre), Associate Professor Crick Lund Professor Wood first came across “slim disease” as a (Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health), doctor in Zambia in the early 1980s, before the human Associate Professor Helen McIlleron (Division of immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had been identified, Clinical Pharmacology) and Associate Professor or anyone knew that acquired immunodeficiency Landon Myer (School of Public Health and Family Syndrome (AIDS) was the result. He had no idea it Medicine). In the Lecturer/Senior Lecturer category, would one day become a global pandemic – and that it these accolades were garnered by Dr Chris Colvin would shape his career and research. (School of Public Health and Family Medicine) and Associate Professor Thomas Scriba (South African That body of work, nearly two decades of pioneering Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative). HIV/AIDS research, has earned the Oxford-trained specialist physician and infectious-disease