SAMRC Invests in the Future of Health by Establishing Seven New Research Units to Drive Innovation and Save Lives

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) is making a bold and strategic investment in the future of health in South Africa with the launch of seven new Extramural Research Units (EMUs), effective 1 April 2026, bringing the total of EMUs to 30.

This significant expansion is testimonial to the organisation’s commitment to strengthening the country’s health research ecosystem and accelerating solutions to some of the most pressing health challenges facing South Africans today.

The SAMRC’s Extramural Units are external research divisions commissioned to conduct research on behalf of the organisation. These Units bring together leading scientists from universities, science councils, and research institutions across South Africa and beyond, enabling a coordinated and collaborative approach to health research.

This model ensures that the country benefits from a broad pool of expertise, while strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the next generation of researchers.

The new Units will tackle critical issues such as childhood brain injuries, ageing populations, pregnancy complications, infectious diseases, cancer, and the use of artificial intelligence to improve health outcomes.

“To ensure that the SAMRC has a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans, there is a need to ensure cohesion in the South African health research space, by not only concentrating on internal research within the SAMRC, but also reaching out to the external research community in the form of Extramural Units. EMUs feed into the SAMRC strategic objectives by providing an integrated interdisciplinary research effort distinguished by scientific excellence and driven by a clear vision of research progress, new knowledge, new discoveries, technological developments, and the next generation of highly qualified researchers leading to national and global scientific impact for the country,” says Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, President and CEO of the SAMRC.

By supporting sustained, interdisciplinary research, the SAMRC is enabling scientists to address complex health questions that cannot be solved through short-term funding alone with the objective of finding innovative solutions to improve quality of life, reduce healthcare costs, and strengthen the country’s resilience to future health threats.

The newly established EMUs, hosted in partnership with leading academic and research institutions, are:

• SAMRC/UCT Discovery Neuroscience In Children: Advancing Understanding and Treatment of Acute Brain Conditions Research Unit, led by Professor Anthony Figaji, focusing on advancing the understanding and treatment of acute brain conditions in children.
• SAMRC/WITS Ageing African Adult Research Unit, led by Professor Lisa Micklesfield, addressing the health challenges of Africa’s growing ageing population.
• SAMRC/SUN Preeclampsia Research Unit, led by Professor Catherine Cluver, targeting one of the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality.
• SAMRC/UCT AI for African Population Health Research Unit, led by Professor Nicola Mulder, harnessing artificial intelligence to transform public health insights and interventions.
• SAMRC/WITS Centre For Nanopharmaceutical Translational Research in Infectious Diseases, Cancer & Neurotherapeutics Research Unit, led by Professor Lisa Claire du Toit, developing innovative treatments for infectious diseases, cancer, and neurological disorders.
• SAMRC/SMU Public Health Interventions, Innovations, and Implementation Research Unit, led by Professor Olanrewaju Oladimeji, focusing on scalable and effective public health solutions.
• SAMRC/WITS/MINTEK Digital Health and AI for Occupational Health –Mining Sector Research Unit, led by Professor Lindiwe Zungu and Dr James Aluha, advancing worker health and safety through digital innovation in the mining sector.

For more information, please contact:

Tendani Tsedu
SAMRC Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications
Tendani.tsedu@mrc.ac.za

082 945 1980