Academic and  Research Entities

(This list is not exhaustive and is in the process of being updated.)

Our research team evaluates the impact of social programs and policies in South Africa, covering a wide range of sectors including labor markets, urban services, and political participation. Our policy team works with organizations and governments across Africa to build, pilot, and scale cost-effective interventions, including the Teaching at the Right Level approach to primary education. Our training team builds researcher capacity to conduct randomized evaluations and policymaker capacity to use evidence from randomized evaluations effectively.

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We are a public benefit mechanism geared to solving complex problems across South Africa and Africa. We achieve this by drawing on technology and innovations, leveraging resources, people and expertise across different sectors, and engaging beneficiaries in co-creation, as part of our process. This enables us to find, adapt, implement & evaluate sustainable solutions. Reinvest Creating Value Catalysing innovation – allows us scale interventions in reducing the global health burden & climate impact Enabling Philanthropy Profit with Purpose – nurturing the potential in people to grow small ideas for big purpose while focusing on our key program areas. We drive sustainable development across communities We support innovation in Africa through a sustainable, multi-sectoral ecosystem and fair-trade practices.

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We conduct in-depth social sciences research, provide programmatic support, conduct training and capacity building, and provide technical assistance to stakeholders in South Africa, Africa, and the world.

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The Division of Anatomical Pathology is one of five departments within the School of Pathology. The department enjoys joint status as an academic and a service division within the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). It comprises 3 academic business units that are situated at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Braamfontein (Cytopathology Unit) and at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. The division provides a histology diagnostic service to approximately 65 000 patients per year, including consultations from the private sector and other academic units throughout the country. It reports approximately 190 000 cytopathology samples per year, and provides the histopathology diagnostic service for the liver transplant unit at the Donald Gordon Medical Centre. The diagnostic platform includes an immunohistochemistry facility with 200 antibodies, a renal pathology bench, a neuropathology bench, a bone marrow trephine bench, electron microscopy facility and an immunofluorescence service. An autopsy service is provided for non-medico-legal cases.

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CMeRC was established as a collaborating Agency with the following constituent members: Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH)1, Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development (GDoHSD)2, National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS)3 MISSION The Mission of CMERC is to promote an interdisciplinary and scientific environment in clinical practice that fosters excellence in acquiring, production, communication and implementation of knowledge for the improvement of patient care in an efficient and creative.

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The Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis (TB) Research (CBTBR) was established in July 2004 and signifies the governments commitment in finding solutions to one of the continents most threatening diseases.

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The Emerging Viral Threats, One Health Surveillance, and Vaccines (EViTOH) division, led by Professor Marietjie Venter, a Distinguished Professor and NRF-SARChI Chair, is a research group within the Infectious Diseases and Oncology Research Institute (IDORI) at the University of Witwatersrand. Professor Venter also directs the Centre for Emerging and Re-emerging Arbo and Respiratory Viruses (CEARV) at the University of Pretoria (UP) and holds an extraordinary professorship in the Department of Medical Virology at UP.

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We lead and conduct effective research initiatives that have an impact on local, regional, and global communities. We serve as a premier multidisciplinary research centre with a focus on treatment optimization, medical technologies and devices, vaccines and contagious diseases, and other emerging health issues. In order to lessen COVID-19’s impact in the world, we have used our expertise to fight the pandemic together with other organizations.

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The Gauteng Research Triangle is a research collaborative in Gauteng between the University of Johannesburg, the University of Pretoria, and the University of the Witwatersrand. These three leading, research-intensive universities have decided to pool their considerable resources to enhance our understanding of the space we all inhabit, the people who inhabit it, the policies needed to balance social, economic, and sustainable priorities, and how best to maximise the impact of the universities on society.

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The Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE²RO) is a division of the Wits Health Consortium of the University of the Witwatersrand. Its purpose is to conduct applied, policy- and program-relevant research and evaluation on issues of public health importance in South Africa. HE²RO was established in 2004 as a collaboration between WHC and the Center for Global Health and Development at Boston University in the United States. It focuses on understanding the economic and epidemiological consequences of the HIV and TB epidemics and the effectiveness, benefits, and costs of interventions. It responds directly to requests for information and technical assistance from the National Department of Health, National Health Laboratory Service, provincial departments of health, PEPFAR partners, and healthcare providers, answering questions of immediate practical relevance to these stakeholders.

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Health Regulatory Science Platform (HRSP) is a newly registered Division of Wits Health Consortium. Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Limited (WHC) is wholly owned by the University of the Witwatersrand which provides support to its divisions - primarily through its Faculty of Health Sciences. Some of the activities include – commissioning research, managing donor-funded activities, pursuing entrepreneurial innovation in health and supporting clinical trials. With the global call for improved access to quality health care and therapeutic interventions, and the emerging problems of health security, HRSP has positioned itself as an innovative, flexible quality assured, basic and advanced training platform and generation of models and pathways in regulatory science.

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Health Systems Enablement and Innovation (HSEi) works to improve health outcomes for vulnerable and underserved populations. As part of the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, the HSEi team is made up of globally recognized academics, researchers, and health experts. With a deep knowledge of Africa’s unique challenges and solutions, HSEi is uniquely placed to build capacity and create systems-level change within health systems.

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The Division runs the largest clinical & diagnostic genetics service in South Africa. We provide genetic services to both the private and State hospital sector, with the majority of our services being delivered in the State sector. We also have a vibrant training mandate, and currently offer academic programmes to health sciences undergraduate- and postgraduate students (Honours, MSc, PhD, genetic counsellors and medical registrars).

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The Integrated Molecular Research Initiative (IMPRI) uses advanced molecular physiology techniques, to address the translational divide between basic scientific research and its clinical applications. IMPRI’s overarching research focus is to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and potential treatments of non-communicable diseases. Currently, our research focuses on two significant contributors to the global public healthcare burden i.e. neurological and mental-health-related disorders, and cardiometabolic disorders. These broad research themes are further divided into specific research projects that address various pathophysiological and treatment aspects of the disorders.

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The Isango Lethemba TB Research Unit focuses on multiple TB-related studies. The site is located in the precinct of the Jose Pearson TB Hospital.  Clinical trials undertaken here aim to deliver more effective, tolerable and safe ways of treating patients with DR-TB, shorten time on treatment and develop new strategies in tackling this disease.

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As an integrated component of the Wits Health Consortium, we are committed to fostering excellence in orthopaedic sports medicine through education, training, and research. We bring together expertise from both the private and government sectors, supported by the academic know-how of the University of the Witwatersrand. Our collaborative approach ensures the delivery of high-quality care and innovative solutions in orthopaedic sports medicine. Explore our website to discover how JOSI is shaping the future of sports medicine through cutting-edge research, educational initiatives, and compassionate patient care.

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The Kalahari Endangered Ecosystem Project (KEEP) is an on-going, multidisciplinary study on the reserve that takes into account that key Kalahari species interact with each other in complex food webs, and may respond differently to the direct and indirect effects of climate change. For example, reduced rainfall on the reserve results in less grass, which results in reduced abundance of harvester termites, which has a knock-on effect for aardvarks. KEEP brings together expertise in botany, zoology, veterinary science, ecology and physiology, drawn from institutions across the world, all working together by sharing data and integrating findings. Long-term vegetation monitoring and collection of weather data is also integral to the success of the project. Through KEEP, research has been elevated beyond studying a single species in isolation.

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QxPath, a joint venture between the Wits Health Consortium and Lancet Laboratories, was formed in July 2017 as an academic full-service medical laboratory of excellence. QxPath was officially introduced by Prof Martin Veller, Dean of the Wits Medical School, and the Chancellor of the University, Dr Judy Dlamini, at the opening of the DGMC transplant building. The QxPath academic teaching, training and research platform is a partnership with Wits School of Pathology under the current Head, Prof Johnny Mahlangu. In addition to excellence in service, the academic platform will provide an expanded resource base of facilities and specialists in order to maximise the pathology academic output in the School.

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We are an interdisciplinary research centre focused on understanding and addressing inequality in the global South.

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Supporting Health Initiatives (SHI) is dedicated to the well-being of people across Africa. Committed to advancing public health and strengthening healthcare systems, SHI offers expert project management services and ensures sound custodianship of funding. Through its affiliation with Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd, a wholly owned company of the University of Witwatersrand, SHI has access to top-tier facilities and institutional support, enabling us to collaborate effectively with the Consortium’s Shared Service Centre, University affiliates and external partners.

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The Soweto Comprehensive Cancer Centre provides chemotherapy and radiation services that were not previously available at Bara. Furthermore, the Centre brings early detection and prevention facilities closer to the community.

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The WADDP is a world leading research entity established in 2007 with its Founding Director the Late Professor Viness Pillay (1970-2020). It vibrates with a team of exceptionally passionate, responsive and talented Pharmaceutical Scientists focused on researching and producing 21st century patient-centric pharmaceutical product innovations as neat solutions for the most challenging unmet therapeutic needs globally. The WADDP is a formally recognised research entity at Wits University within the Faculty of Health Sciences and consistently produces high quality research for over two decades. It provides the largest postgraduate and postdoctoral training and research platform of its kind in South Africa for candidates with a specific passion to undertake cutting-edge research in the pharmaceutical sciences.

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Wits-Alive partners at Wits University are internationally recognised scientists with expertise across the breadth of vaccinology research, from basic science to translational science, clinical research and implementation studies. The leadership of the Wits-Alive consortium play key roles in many local, regional and global vaccine and immunisation structures. Over time the consortium will integrate further internal Wits expertise from academic entities with emerging interests in this field, and aims to partner with external scientists and policymakers, to build capacity across the region and fill critical knowledge gaps for new vaccine development and deployment for vaccines considered to be priorities for African countries.

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Welcome to the Wits Cricket Research Hub for Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, in short, the Wits Cricket Research Hub. It is here where we embark on exciting research from injury surveillance to three-dimensional technique analysis and much more. The Wits Cricket Research Hub’s main focus is on the creation of new knowledge, while we also realise that creating knowledge without any means of translation is futile. We therefore not only ensure that we embark on relevant research, but we also strive to disseminate our research findings in a consumer-friendly way. This website is intended for researchers in cricket, as well as for coaches, trainers, healthcare providers, players and anyone else involved in cricket.

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Wits Healthcare Innovation (WHI) is a division of Wits Health Consortium and is supported by the University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Health Sciences. WHI was inspired by Groote Schuur Hospital’s Innovation Hub. Groote Schuur Hospital has shown how real problems in public healthcare can be solved through giving health workers the required support and time. We realised that because health workers are faced with these problems daily they are often highly motivated to find solutions. We also saw the benefits of an interdisciplinary approach to solving these problems and how this brings innovative ideas into focus. WHI is expanding some of the lessons learnt so far and experimenting with different models of interdisciplinary innovation in healthcare. We work with South Africa’s healthcare workers to create “bottom-up” innovation and change within the industry.

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The Wits Health HUBB was founded in 2020 by University of the Witwatersrand researchers Dr Del Naidoo, Dr Lisa Ware and Mr Lethu Kapueja. Their passion for youth health and in particular, their experience in working with youth in Soweto on various community health research projects drew their attention to the reality that health and poverty are inseparable. The research conducted with young people and families in Soweto over the last 30 years through the MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways to Health Research Unit (DPHRU) showed that young people typically do not engage with health as economic challenges are more pressing.

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At Wits HSD we believe that organizations, whether they are governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), corporations, or academic institutions, have a significant role to play in prioritizing and supporting health and social development projects in order to see our country progress and thrive. Our focus primarily to address the disparities in Health and Social development sectors in our country. We see the challenges that many communities are faced with as an opportunity for us and other organizations to leverage our resources, expertise, and networks to contribute to solutions. By addressing these challenges, we help improve the overall well-being of communities, which in turn fosters stability and improves our economy.

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The Mycology Division aims to improve the outcomes of people affected by serious, life- threatening fungal diseases in South Africa and the African region through public health-focused epidemiological, clinical and basic science research and innovation. Our work also stretches to other important infectious diseases. The Mycology Division was established in 2016 and is affiliated to the School of Pathology in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and to the Centre for Healthcare-Associated Infections Antimicrobial Resistance and Mycoses at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

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Established in 2024, Wits Planetary Health Research (Wits PHR) conducts pioneering, cutting-edge planetary health research with a focus on the effects of climate change on public health. We are a division of Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd, a research consortium in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, our network extends internationally, with a presence in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

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