With a background in neuroscience and a relentless drive for discovery, Dr Jacqueline Womersley delves deep into understanding the biological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders. Funded by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) under the Early Investigators Programme, her research promises to reshape the landscape of neuroscience and mental health.

Dr Womersley is a senior research scientist in the Stellenbosch University Department of Psychiatry and a member of the Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Extra-Mural Unit. Jacqueline first developed a passion for neuroscience as an undergraduate student and knew early in her postgraduate training that she wanted to pursue neuroscience research as a career.

After obtaining her PhD in Physiology from the University of Cape Town, she undertook postdoctoral research in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Medical University of South Carolina in the USA and in the Department of Psychiatry at Stellenbosch University. Jacqueline has a broad background in neuroscience and conducts research examining the biological mechanisms underlying the risk of developing psychiatric disorders. She is a member of the neuropsychiatric genetics research group. Her team includes staff and postgraduate students on projects spanning childhood trauma, HIV, posttraumatic stress disorder, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, anxiety, depression, and substance use.

In 2022, Jacqueline was awarded an Early Investigators Programme grant for the project titled: “Epigenetic and biological ageing profiles of neuropsychological function in South African women with HIV". As per the Early Investigators Programme, it is expected that funded investigators would be able to strengthen their leadership skills, increase their research outputs and management skills, train and graduate research students, and attract further funding to grow their own research programmes and become independent researchers. The award has allowed her to leverage the results of an ongoing study conducted in the Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, on biological endophenotypes of HIV in South African women. The multi-level dataset includes neuropsychological, clinical, genomic and neuroimaging measures and will provide insight into the mechanisms underlying cognitive decline and depression, two common comorbidities of HIV infection. As South Africa has the largest population of people with HIV, research into the mechanisms underlying risk and resilience towards developing neurocognitive impairment and psychopathology is highly relevant to the national health burden.

Jacqueline views the SAMRC Early Investigators grant as a critical step in establishing herself as an independent researcher, and notably, it will enhance the career development opportunities for herself and two PhD candidates on the project. Thus far, the funding has enabled her to expand on research funded by the National Research Foundation Y-rated researcher and San Diego Center for AIDS Research International Pilot grants, conducted in collaboration with Dr Scott Letendre, a University of California San Diego Centre for AIDS Research infectious disease expert.

A recent exciting development in Jacqueline’s career is her appointment  as co-Chair of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Trauma and Genomics Special Interest Group with effective effect  from November 2023. The influential group aims to foster collaboration between researchers in the field, provide a forum for them to learn from one another, and offer opportunities for those unfamiliar with genomics to gain insight into its contributions to trauma exposure outcomes. This is in addition to Jacqueline’s other roles in ISTSS. She has previously served as the member of the ISTSS Public Education and Information Selection Task Force, and a Global Ambassador in 2022. Dr Womersley is also involved in the ISTSS Education production subcommittee, a science engagement platform that provides publicly available educational materials to promote the health and resilience of people affected by trauma.

“Dr Womersley's research recent achievement is a testament to the dedication of RCD funded beneficiaries and reflection of a careful selection by SAMRC to support promising researchers whose research will have a strong social impact. Her innovative work is set to reshape the future of mental health and neurocognitive research, bringing hope and understanding to countless lives.” says Dr Abeda Dawood, RCD Division Manager.

Contributors: RCD Division, for more information on RCD Grant Portfolio contact Dr Frederic Nduhirabandi (Programme Manager: Career Awards; 021 938 0461; Frederic.Nduhirabandi@mrc.ac.za)