Page 123 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

internal and external clients. The IAT course is also student (mentee) in the same field for an IAS-
aligned with the SAVC requirements (animal staff supported virtual mentorship programme for 6
authorisation). In addition, PUDAC is also supporting months, culminating in a face-to-face meeting in
3 PhD students and 1 MBA (Administrator). Courses the next IAS conference which is funded by IAS. A
attended by scientists/students in the reporting PUDAC-hosted PhD student benefited as a mentee
period focused on research ethics, next-generation from the same IAS mentorship programme. In
sequencing, cheminformatics, coding, and research addition, the same PUDAC senior researcher was
proposal writing. A senior scientist was appointed appointed as a reviewer of the IAS 2024 conference
by the International AIDS Society (IAS) as a mentor applications for sponsorship.
for the second year in a row to participate in its 2023
Mentorship Programme. The Programme links a Science for creating a
senior or established researcher (mentor) in the HIV/ healthier society
AIDS field with an early-career or a postgraduate As an animal research platform, we have limitations
on what we can share with the public due to the
sensitive nature of our work. However, we have
contributed to knowledge generation through the
use of our animal models, and we have disseminated
our research findings in the form of conference
presentations, publications and stakeholder
meetings. One of our Senior Researchers Dr Gerald
Chege wrote an article for a general audience on the
use of non-human primates in HIV/AIDS research
which was featured in the South African Immunology
Society (SAIS) Newsletter (spring edition). Our Unit
Director, Dr Chesa Chauke, was appointed to chair
the Research Ethics Committee Association of
Southern Africa (REASA) whose role is to promote
the philosophy and practice of ethical human
and animal research in Southern African countries.
Dr Chauke is also serving as a committee member of
NHREC which is mandated to formulate policies that
guide and regulate the research ethics committees
Scientist at molecular biology lab in South Africa.
preparing samples for PCR purification.
In celebration of 30 years of
democracy in South Africa

As we celebrate 30 years of democracy, PUDAC is
committed to providing scientific excellence and
striving for the highest standards of quality and
integrity in all ethical aspects of providing appropriate
infrastructure and animal research models for
biomedical research as well as experimental design,
data analysis, and interpretation. Although we have
faced adversity in the past three decades, let us now
be joyful and celebrate this liberation by advancing
people's health. It is time to come together to devise
strategies that will help to improve the lives of our
communities. We might not be in a political space, but
A researcher at the PUDAC vaccinology lab. through our research, we have the means to influence
health policies that the government implements.

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 121