Page 161 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

P E R FOR M A NC E I N FOR M A T I ON

Scholarly output remained strong, with the Researcher development was further supported
Director editing three international volumes that through monthly journal clubs, weekly research
foreground African perspectives in oncology, meetings, grant-writing workshops, NRF rating
artificial intelligence, and treatment resistance. workshops, and book chapter authorship mentoring
These contributions complemented ongoing programmes targeting postgraduate students,
research on colorectal cancer, melanoma, and postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers.
cancer disparities. The Director also served as a
Principal Investigator in the US$25 million Cancer A community-based mobile HPV DNA screening
testing,
HPV
self-collected
clinic
provided
Grand Challenges Team SAMBAI initiative, leading healthcare worker-assisted sampling, and on-
African components focused on ancestry, societal,
and molecular determinants of cancer. site treatment or referral services for previously
unscreened rural women. This initiative directly
International recognition included appointments addressed inequities in access to cancer screening
to the Global Exposome Moonshot Forum and the and prevention services. Collaboration with patient
GA4GH Study Group on Human Exposome Data advocacy organisations, including Genesis in
Standards, visiting professorships at the University Soweto, ensured that community perspectives
of Glasgow and Columbia University, nomination were incorporated into research priorities and
for the Order of Mapungubwe, and the award of an programme design.
Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Sabbatical Grant.
Structured mentorship and networking
Translational impact continued through the opportunities were also provided through the 4th
expansion of patient-derived organoid and PACRI International Annual Cancer Meeting, held
xenograft platforms, further development of in March 2026 under the theme "Bridging Cancer
the AI-driven "Virtual Histopathologist," and Science and Medicine in Africa: Driving Innovation
the implementation of rural HPV DNA screening and Equity for Transformative Impact." The
pilots. These initiatives helped bridge laboratory conference connected trainees with leading African
discoveries and real-world cancer care. and international experts.
International collaborations through Cancer
Capacity development remained central to PORU's
mission. The Unit provided structured mentorship Grand Challenges Team SAMBAI and the African
to postdoctoral fellows, doctoral and master's Academy of Integrated Morphology and Health
students, and clinician-scientists through journal Sciences (AAIMHS) further exposed trainees to
clubs, research meetings, grant-writing workshops, interdisciplinary and equity-focused research
and collaborative authorship opportunities. approaches. During the reporting period, several
Collectively, these achievements demonstrate PhD and MSc candidates graduated, the majority
PORU's growing scientific, translational, and of whom were Black South African or SADC-region
scholars, reflecting PORU's deliberate commitment
convening impact, while strengthening research to transformative and inclusive human capital
infrastructure and advancing Africa-led precision development in precision oncology.
oncology.

Building Capacity Through AI in Medical and Health Research
Training, Mentorship, and Support PORU is actively applying and expanding artificial
intelligence (AI) and data-driven technologies
During the year under review, PORU implemented across multiple areas of its research and innovation
several capacity development initiatives aimed pipeline. The most advanced application is the
at promoting equity and excellence in health Tissue Annotation and Virtual Histopathologist
research and healthcare. These included a six- Project, which is built on the TissueFAXS PLUS
week Basic Cancer Genomics 101 course, offered digital pathology platform (TissueGnostics, Vienna).
twice annually to scientists and clinicians across the Through this initiative, PORU and its anatomical
SADC region, and the University of Pretoria Cancer pathology partners are training machine-learning
Research Elective (UPCRE) programme for third- models to automatically classify tumour cells,
year medical students, designed to nurture future immune infiltrates, and stromal components.
clinician-scientists. The goal is to enable rapid, reproducible, and

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