Page 189 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Care, based at the University of Cape Town. This SAMRC hosts the University of South
significant advancement in her career is a testament Carolina delegation to foster capacity
to her exceptional dedication and groundbreaking building in the area of big data
work in global surgery and health systems. The
Centre will work to implement high-quality clinical The RCD division hosted a delegation from the
care for vulnerable populations. Additionally, University of South Carolina (USC) on the 8th of
the Centre will focus on pioneering research and July 2024 at the SAMRC Medicina Campus in Cape
evidence generation to support the delivery of high- Town. This delegation comprised a team of big data
quality, integrated clinical care on a global scale. experts collaborating with Prof Refiloe Phaswana-
Mafuya, a beneficiary of the SAMRC Mid-Career
Prof Maswime has credited the Mid-Career Scientist Scientist Programme and Director of the University
grant with accelerating her career development. of Johannesburg's African Centre for Epidemics
For instance, the SAMRC Mid-Career Scientist Research (PACER), an SAMRC extramural unit. The
Programme funding enabled Prof Maswime to USC team included Dr Bankole Olatosi, Prof Sharon
establish a new programme in global surgery that B Weissman, Prof Xiaoming Li, Prof Shan Qiao, and
hosts both MSc and PhD candidates. She was the Mr David Reddy.
winner of the prestigious National Science and SAMRC intramural research units presented
Technology Forum (NSTF) SAMRC Clinician Scientist overviews of their unit's research and interest in big
Award for 2023. She is also head of the Division of data, providing a platform for the USC delegation to
Global Surgery at the University of Cape Town.
share their research and explore potential areas for
collaboration.
Looking Forward
The achievements of Prof Phaswana-Mafuya and Prof The visit was initiated by Professor Phaswana-Mafuya
Maswime highlight the SAMRC Mid-Career Scientist and aimed to deepen the partnership between USC
Programme's success in enhancing health research experts and SAMRC units as well as RCD-funded
and fostering scientific and academic leadership researchers interested in big data. Organised under
in South Africa. Commenting on this achievement, the theme of "Fostering Capacity Building through
RCD Division Manager Dr Abeda Dawood states, Partnership and Collaboration in the area of Big
"We applaud these remarkable accomplishments Data”, the primary goal was to explore how SAMRC
by the beneficiaries and look forward with great researchers and RCD grant holders can benefit from
enthusiasm to their continued contributions to the capacity-building opportunities provided by the
advancing scientific knowledge for the improvement USC Big Data Health Science Centre.
of health in South Africa.”

The delegations of University of South Carolina and SAMRC's RCD and Research Units. Prof Phaswana-Mafuya,
Dr Edith Phalane, and Prof Jason Bantjes joined the meeting online.

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