Page 148 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

('Safe Passage’). This project adopts a multi-level
systems approach to identify the mechanisms by
which pre-, peri- and postnatal environmental
risk (and resilience) factors lead to (or protect
against) early development and progression of
mental disorders in 2,000 adolescents combining
innovative multivariate methods and examining
mediating neurocognitive vulnerabilities and clinical
symptoms/ profiles in childhood/ early adolescence.

Prof Seedat and a collaborator Prof Larsya Zasiekina
secured a Cambridge Alborada seed grant to
conduct a study on continuous traumatic stress and
moral injury in high-risk adolescents in Cape Town.
This study which is sampling parent-child dyads is
currently ongoing.

Numerous new collaborations were initiated,
including those between SAMRC Intra- and
extramural units (e.g. between our unit and the
EHRU) and we are in talks with the CSIR regarding
potential collaborations as well.

Building Capacity Through

Training, Mentorship, and Support
The Unit's projects have provided opportunities
for up-skilling of students and staff in clinical/
psychometric assessments, 'omics' technologies,
brain imaging, qualitative and mixed-methods
research, and cultural neuroscience approaches.
Profs Seedat and Hemmings lead monthly African
Neuroscience Alliance (ANA) meetings, with Dr Nqobile presenting Case study:
presentations to equip young African neuroscientists Neuroethics at Imbizo.
with the knowledge and tools to further their careers.
The GBD Unit has also provided seed funding for
early-career African neuroscience teams and hosted
capacity-building events, including "Paper-in-a- review with meta-analysis under Prof. Zasiekina's
Day" and computational workshops. supervision, submitting a first-author manuscript.
Dr Matshabane, who leads the unit's Neuroethics
Through the Cambridge-Alborada partnership, Prof Work Group (WG), led 10 hybrid meetings in 2024.
Zasiekina conducted two online workshops (April Guest speakers included Dr Phila Msimang [SU],
2024) on cognitive and trauma-focused therapy, Prof. Kate Webb [international] and Prof. Francis X
attracting mental health professionals from SU, Shen [international] leading to a collaborative grant
UCT and UWC, as well as private practitioners. application, follow-up departmental-wide lecture,
This partnership also provided skills training and a new member of SU Neuroethics WG.
for a visiting elective student from South Africa
(Zach Knowles) in adolescent/parent recruitment, Dr Matshabane led the Dana Foundation and SAMRC
assessment and data collection. Zach Knowles GBD Unit Collaborative Neuroethics virtual webinar
and postdoc researchers, Berte vd Watt have also (+- 70 attendees) (March 2024) and the UCT Ethics
acquired other methodological skills. Postgraduate Lab and SAMRC GBD Unit Collaborative Neuroethics
researcher Moh Rafique conducted a systematic virtual webinar (+- 50 attendees) (November 2024).

146 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25