Page 45 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Hypertension and
Cardiovascular Disease

Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Marlien Pieters

Prioritising responsive research Equitable capacity development
through impactful interventions for empowering communities

The overall aim of the Extramural Unit for Hypertension Our staff complement has shifted towards a young
and Cardiovascular (CVD) Disease Research is to generation of researchers, including more women
contribute to new clinical and epidemiological and staff members from previously disadvantaged
knowledge within the field of CVD risk in different groups. These individuals are empowered to
population groups in South Africa to alleviate the lead research projects within the EMU by support
CVD burden by facilitating more effective awareness, provided for research visits to leading international
treatment, and prevention programmes in the future. research laboratories to further their training and
to gain the necessary skills to become experts in
We use the latest technology such as polyomics and their research fields. The North-West University
advanced cardiovascular phenotyping in prospective has a “Grow-Our-Own-Timber” initiative that
epidemiological as well as implementation research provides funding to previously disadvantaged
projects. We aim to contribute to the original students to complete their post-graduate studies
cardiovascular profiling of all South Africans. while receiving mentoring to fast-track them for
With a shift from addressing mainly CVD in the permanent appointment, particularly in cases where
elderly, the unit has initiated strategies to focus on current staff members retire. An example of such
preventive cardiology, namely; to focus on the early an appointment is Dr Gontse Mokwatsi who was
development of CVD risk factors such as raised blood appointed after the retirement of another senior
pressure and early vascular ageing in children and staff member and who is already the project leader
young adults; to focus on the unique disease profile of the UPRIGHT-HTM study within the EMU.
of a large proportion of South Africans affected by
co-morbidities in terms of HIV and CVD and; to Lastly, a concerted effort is made on succession
address the health implications of the high burden of planning for individuals from previously disadvantaged
CVD due to poor awareness and late diagnosis. This groups. This includes such members forming part
enables us to generate new knowledge across the of the management team meetings of the EMU,
disease spectrum, from early patho-physiological principal investigator positions in EMU research
changes to advanced stages of CVD development. projects, attendance of management and leadership
Our contributions of novel data and analyses in courses, development of national and international
research publications aim to contribute towards networks and access to research funding.
better population-based CVD prevention, as well as
better treatment and care for South Africans.

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