Page 133 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Advancing Research Priorities:
Strategic Objectives and Impact
The South African Medical Research Council/
University of Johannesburg (SAMRC/UJ) Pan African
Centre for Epidemics Research (PACER) Extramural
Unit has a unique scientific premise that seeks to close
the gap in the HIV response. The vision of PACER is
to be the leading producer of cutting-edge scientific
evidence for equitable and sustained pandemic
response in the African Continent. The mission of
PACER is to generate cutting-edge epidemiological
and public health evidence for the equitable and
sustainable response to local epidemics and future
pandemic preparedness strategies.
PACER staff and postgraduate students are
actively involved in the mentorship of young
scientists at the Eskom Expo for Young
Scientists, providing support and leadership
on health-related projects.
SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25
Pan African Centre for
Epidemics Research Unit
Unit director:
Prof. Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya
refilwep@uj.ac.za
In this regard, PACER conducts studies that are
innovative, ambitious and data-driven mainly
involving leveraging and analysing different data
types from various sources (big heterogeneous data),
including programmatic, research, and auxiliary
data. The studies focus on the unmet prevention
and treatment needs inclusive of vulnerable and
key populations with disproportionately higher risk
of onward transmission to inform a tailored HIV
response, sensitive to heterogeneity, for greater
impact in terms of epidemic control, i.e., reduction
of incidence in the population at large.
PACER explores new methods and approaches
attuned to the structure of available data including
big data, machine learning techniques, small area
estimations, integrated analysis, transmission
modelling, and cross-sectional and longitudinal
analyses.
Key Milestones and Achievements
Scientific dissemination: Eighteen (18) conference
papers were presented at the 6th National Big Data
Health Sciences Conference, South Carolina, USA.
13-14 February 2025 and 12 posters were presented
at the World Congress of Epidemiology, Cape Town,
South Africa, 24 – 27 September 2024.
Scientific productivity: a number of articles were
published in peer-reviewed journals most of which
are linked to the PhD students' work; four have been
accepted for publication and some abstracts have
been accepted as conference proceedings.
Scientific recognitions: PACER Director was awarded
the HERS-SA Trailblazer Award and Lifetime Achiever
Award at the Higher Education Women Leaders
Awards (HEWLA) in August 2024; was also appointed
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