DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
This is the news blog for the Division of Molecular Biology & Human Genetics and the Division of Immunology
[:en] Written by Dr Emilyn Costa Conceição In early June 2025, I had the opportunity to attend the second annual meeting of GenPath Africa, a project that’s working to strengthen Africa’s ability to track and respond to infectious diseases using genomic surveillance, a way of studying the DNA of viruses,…
[:en]In April and May 2025, the Social Impact Task Team (SITT) proudly hosted two impactful stem cell donor recruitment drives in collaboration with DKMS Africa, furthering our commitment to social outreach and the broader cause of public good. These drives were not just about science—they were about solidarity, humanity, and…
[:en]Written by Dr Emilyn Costa Conceicao Brazil and South Africa share more than economic ties as members of the BRICS bloc; they also face significant public health challenges as both are included on the World Health Organization’s list of countries with high tuberculosis (TB) burdens. Investing in advanced technologies to…
[:en] Written by Welile Dube Three ambitious students from the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics (MBHG) embarked on a transformative academic journey at the Education and Research-Oriented Training in Health Sciences (EARTHS) 2024 Summer School. The summer school was hosted by Prof. Amena Ahmad of Hamburg University of…
[:en] Written by Alyce Kapisa Join me on a journey as I travel to the small town of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, where members of the Societal Impact Task Team (SITT) within Stellenbosch University’s Department of Biomedical Sciences participated in the 8th annual Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) Conference. This…
[:en]Written by Alyce Kapisa What does 40-degree weather, the world’s smallest international airport and slow drivers have in common? They can all be found in South Africa’s ‘Groen Kalahari’ also known as Upington, in our beautiful Northern Cape province. Other than all that, Upington also happens to boast some potential…
[:en] A diverse group of researchers, public health officials and TB survivors worked together to create a consensus TB Dictionary In the ongoing fight against tuberculosis (TB), a newly launched Global TB Dictionary aims to provide a common language for researchers, policy makers, funders and affected communities. Developed through a…
[:en]In a significant leap for healthcare in Africa, the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics is proud to announce the establishment of the “Genomics for Health in Africa” initiative. This collaborative project, led by Professor Shahida Moosa, head of the Rare Disease Genomics Research Group, aims to bring advanced…
[:en]Written by Leka Mhlophe Children and scientists are more similar than one might think. There are many questions at the core of what both children and scientists are. For example, when a child asks “why?” several times for several hours, believe it or not, that is exactly what a scientist…
[:en]Written by Leka Mhlophe Look at that! Another year has passed and here comes the Eskom Expo once again! In my short time at the MBHG, I have realised that an integral part of what we do is connecting with the community. This makes sense because as biomedical scientists, the…