The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), together with partners from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and international collaborators, recently hosted a celebratory event at Wits Medical School to honour the remarkable impact and enduring legacy of the SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit (DPHRU).
The evening marked by reflection, recognition, and renewed commitment celebrated more than four decades of scientific excellence, collaboration, and transformative research into how health is shaped across the life course. Opening the event, SAMRC Vice President: Extramural Research and Internal Portfolio, Prof Liesl Zuhlke welcomed colleagues, partners, and distinguished guests, emphasising the deeper significance of the occasion, saying, “This evening is about recognising a body of work that has helped all of us to understand one of the most profound truths in health science; that health does not begin when illness appears but is shaped across the entire course of life”.
Celebrating Leadership and Vision
The evening provided an opportunity to celebrate the leadership of DPHRU Director Professor Shane Norris, whose stewardship has helped sustain the unit’s long-term vision. Under his leadership, the unit has embraced longitudinal research approaches tracking health outcomes over time and generating insights that extend far beyond traditional funding cycles, with Prof Zuhlke saying, “Longitudinal thinking requires patience and the ability to hold together teams, data, and purpose across decades”.
Prof Norris said, “Research takes patience to understand biology and how this is shaped by the environment and impacts health so as to shift health trajectories.”
A key theme of the celebration was the strength of partnerships that have underpinned the unit’s success. The DPHRU’s model, as an SAMRC Extramural Research Unit hosted at Wits, was recognised as a powerful example of how national institutions and academic environments can work together to enable both continuity and innovation. This partnership is further enriched by international collaborations, including with the University of Southampton, positioning South African research within global scientific discourse while remaining grounded in local priorities.
Acknowledging Sustained Investment and Lasting Impact
The event underscored the powerful impact of sustained investment in the unit, spanning more than 15 years of formal funding and building on an additional 25 years of previous funding from the SAMRC to Professor John Pettifor’s Mineral Metabolism Research Unit. This long-term commitment has enabled the DPHRU to evolve into a globally recognised centre of excellence, demonstrating how consistent, strategic investment in research can deliver lasting benefits for population health. Throughout the evening, speakers reflected on how the unit has not only generated high-quality scientific evidence but has fundamentally shifted how health is understood across the life course.
Research to Real-World Impact - Recognising People at the Heart of the Work
Over the past four decades, research from the DPHRU, anchored in the landmark Birth to 40 cohort, has fundamentally reshaped how health is understood in South Africa and beyond. The unit’s work has shown that early-life conditions, including growth, nutrition, and socio-economic context, profoundly influence lifelong health outcomes, from education and employment to risk of chronic disease. Its findings on intergenerational inequality, adolescent development, and exposure to violence have not only advanced scientific understanding, but also informed policy and intervention strategies across multiple sectors.
A particularly celebratory moment of the evening was the acknowledgment of the many researchers, students, collaborators and communities who have contributed to the unit’s success over the decades. The DPHRU’s commitment to mentoring and training has produced a new generation of scientists now leading research programmes both in South Africa and globally, an achievement that reflects the multiplier effect of sustained investment in people.
Looking Ahead - A Future Built on Strong Foundations
While the event celebrated past achievements, it also looked firmly to the future. Speakers highlighted that the challenges addressed by the DPHRU ranging from inequality and urbanisation to climate pressures and evolving disease patterns are becoming increasingly complex and urgent. The developmental pathways approach with its long-term lens remains essential in understanding and addressing these challenges.
The evening concluded with a sense of pride and shared purpose, acknowledging the achievements of the DPHRU and the role of the SAMRC in enabling research that makes a tangible difference to people’s lives. “When we invest wisely in understanding developmental pathways, we invest in a healthier future for all,” concluded Prof Zuhlke.
Selected Publications
- Birth to Twenty Cohort Profile | Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
- Intergenerational Inequality Study | BMJ Global Health
- Adolescent Mental Health and Adult Outcomes | Journal of Adolescent Health
- Violence Across the Life Course | South African Medical Journal
Read more about the DPHRU | Here