INVITATION: NRF Science for Society Lecture on the future of nanotechnology

The National Research Foundation (NRF) extends an invitation to members of the media to attend the NRF Science for Society Lecture on the Future of Nanotechnology. It will be delivered by Professor Yahya Choonara, the DSTI-NRF SARChI Chair in Pharmaceutical Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, at the University of the Witwatersrand on 09 April 2025.

Prof Choonara’s lecture will highlight groundbreaking innovations in advanced drug delivery systems and also explore the transformative role of nanotechnology in the development of medicines. An academic leader with a total of 49 pharma patents aimed at providing patient-centric treatments in infectious diseases, oncology, neurotrauma and special needs populations, Prof Choonara is best positioned to speak about cutting-edge research that impacts lives. His inventions include WaferMat, the world’s fastest dissolving matrix.

Prof Choonara is based at Wits, where he is Professor of Pharmaceutical Science in the institution’s Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology as well as director of the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) Research Unit. WADDP, which Prof Choonara co-founded in 2007, is Africa’s largest hub for pharmaceutical research, innovation, and pharmaceutical product design and development training. It is also a recognised African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) Centre of Excellence in Nanomedicine and Advanced Drug Delivery. 

Prof Choonara was awarded the 2022 FIP Distinguished Pharmaceutical Science Award winner. It is bestowed by the Bureau of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), which represents over four million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists around the world. The international accolade recognised his research and contribution to pharmaceutical sciences globally.

Lecture details:

Date: 09 April 2025

Time: 13:00

Venue: FNB Building, First Floor, FNB 102, West Campus, Wits University, Braamfontein

Media Queries and attendance confirmation:

Bongani Nkosi
Media Relations Officer
NRF Corporate Communications
Email: b.nkosi@nrf.ac.za / Cell: +27 61 477 3064