Professor Alvaro Viljoen is an internationally recognised natural products scientist at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he holds the DSTI-NRF Research Chair in Phytomedicine and directs the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Herbal Drugs Research Unit.

In 2005, he made a deliberate decision to build research capacity at a newly established, under-resourced University of Technology, founding a phytomedicine programme that has grown into a flagship research hub. Since then, he has made an extensive contribution to the supervision and development of postgraduate students, particularly Black South Africans and Black women, over many years. He has supervised more than 105 postgraduate students; 73 African, 74 female and 46 African women. His students have consistently produced quality research outputs, including approximately 29 studentled publications in reputable journals in the period under review, demonstrating the highly productive research training environment he has established.

Professor Viljoen’s contribution extends beyond supervision and publication outcomes to the creation of a sustainable pipeline of future academics and research leaders. Many of the students and researchers trained under his guidance are now NRF-rated professors and academic staff.

The impact of his mentorship across the South African research landscape has been substantial. His ability to develop highly productive scholars and future supervisors represents an important investment in the long-term sustainability of the national research system. His efforts have been recognised through prestigious awards, including the SAMRC Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award (2025) and the SFE-Zandu Award (2023) from the International Society for Ethnopharmacology. He has authored over 330 peer-reviewed papers, holds a Scopus h-index of 60, ranks among the world’s top 2% of scientists (Stanford/Elsevier), and for the past decade, has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.