Page 149 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Navigating the Impact of US National Institutes of Health and is being conducted
Executive Orders on Funding in partnership with Aga Khan University's Brain & Mind
Institute in Kenya, in collaboration with Prof Seedat.
Two NIH-funded projects are ongoing, and the
outcome of continuing funding is uncertain, as Through the Imbizo, indigenous and decolonial
well as whether carryover of unused funding will ways of being and doing were addressed through
be permitted. A 3rd NIH application is awaiting a the facilitation of a drum circle, music, dance, poetry
Council decision on funding. However, the Fogarty and trauma-informed yoga bringing together
Council Meeting which was supposed to have taken community participants from diverse cultural,
place on February 10 was cancelled on account of linguistic, gender, age, education-level and socio-
Trump’s administration executive order. economic backgrounds, to connect in meaningful
ways that allow the fostering of bi- and multi-
Research Translation directional learning in neuroscience, cross-cultural
Through Arts and Science neuroethics, and brain disorders in Africa.
Dr Olivia Matshabane held a very successful South Prof. Hemmings's research group published a
Africa Neuroethics Imbizo on the 1st October Youth Day Opinion Piece in the Mail & Guardian,
2024 to engage people with lived experience with titled "Mental health of South African youth needs
mental disorders as a key component of a research urgent attention." While not traditionally creative,
study titled "Towards establishing contextually and this piece emphasised the urgent need for mental
culturally relevant neuroethics guidelines in Africa" health interventions, in the context of biological and
and is funded by the African Academy of Sciences, environmental interactions that contribute to the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. development of neuropsychiatric disorders.

UCT EthicsLab and SAMRC SU GBD Unit.

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25 147