Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience

The Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB) research team has contributed world-class biomedical research addressing some of Africa’s most critical health challenges. Established in 2014, the institute is a research entity within the University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Health Sciences and is key to advancing multidisciplinary knowledge and developing the next generation of African scientists in the fields of genomics, population genetics, bioinformatics, biomedical informatics, computational and structural biology and epidemiology. Current research includes genetic and environmental factors that contribute to cardiometabolic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, glaucoma, cancer, and the role of the microbiome in obesity, diabetes and hypertension. It is headed up by Michèle Ramsay, Professor of Human Genetics and the DSI-NRF Research Chair in Genomics and Bioinformatics of African Populations. The team includes Prof Chris Mathew; Prof Scott Hazelhurst; Prof Collen Masimirembwa; and Dr Ananyo Choudhury.