How HIV research is helping us tackle Sars-CoV-2

How HIV research is helping us tackle Sars-CoV-2

Both AIDS and COVID-19 are caused by viruses that first infected animals. They have spread insidiously throughout the world causing devastating epidemics and untold human suffering. Decades of research into antibodies and vaccines against HIV are proving invaluable in the race to stop SARS-CoV-2. But the HIV field in turn is learning important lessons from the fast pace and urgency that has characterized the response to COVID-19.

Professor Lynn Morris, who has spent her career doing HIV research, will reflect on how modern science and cross-cutting research can be used to tackle these and future outbreaks of pandemic-causing viruses during the annual AJ Orenstein Lecture.

Keynote Speaker:

Professor Lynn Morris is the Interim Executive Director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Principal Medical Scientist in the HIV Virology Section, Centre for HIV & STI's at the NICD. She holds a joint appointment as Research Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and is an Honorary Senior Scientist at CAPRISA and Director of the South African Medical Research Council's Antibody Immunity Research Unit.

Guest Speaker (introduction of Keynote Speaker):

Professor Judith Bruce is the Assistant Dean: Teaching, Learning and Undergraduate Affairs in the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences.

Facilitator:

Professor Daynia Ballot is the Head of School of Clinical Medicine in the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences.

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Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Symposium 2020

Diaspora Alumni are invited to deliver an interesting talk on any subject that reflects their interests, passion, life’s work, hobby, or life’s journey.

Diaspora Alumni are invited to deliver an interesting talk on any subject that reflects their interests, passion, life’s work, hobby, or life’s journey.

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Inaugural Lecture Prof Hellen Myezwa HIV and Disability

Impact on Organs

Professor Hellen Myezwa

Professor Hellen Myezwa is the Head, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. Hellen Myezwa is an expert in HIV and disability, and she conducted one of the first studies to define the extent of HIV disability in the African setting. Subsequently, she has been involved in research to understand the scope and impact of disability in people living with HIV and has conducted one of the first population-based studies. Additional research projects include understanding the impact of HIV on the risk of ischaemic heart disease and community-based intervention to minimize this risk. The effect of exercise programmes on peripheral neuropathy in HIV and several projects exploring the musculoskeletal function in HIV. In addition to this, Professor Myezwa has expertise in the epidemiology of disability. Professor Myezwa has a keen understanding of the interface between the needs of people with HIV and other chronic conditions and service delivery needs, and which is augmented by her expertise in rehabilitation service delivery as before joining the University of the Witwatersrand, she managed and developed rehabilitation services in a public health sector for 15 years. Her second arm of research involves the study of service delivery systems and has research involving service delivery management, models, their structure and monitoring and evaluation systems. She is a C2 NRF rated researcher and have served on NRF rating panels. Professor Myezwa has published 78 articles in peer-reviewed journals to date and co-authored a book in special education with input on community approaches and a book chapter in the book “Perspectives in Performing Arts Medicine Practice”. She has supervised 24 postgraduate students and currently supervising six postgraduate students. Professor Myezwa has a Masters degree in community rehabilitation from the University of Pretoria and a PhD focussed on mainstreaming HIV into Physiotherapy education from the University of the Witwatersrand. She also holds a  Master’s in leadership, management and executive coaching, which qualifies her as an executive coach and sharpens her leadership in business skills and coaching of younger academics.

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“What if the unthinkable happened?”

The Faculty of Health Sciences invites you to the Inaugural Lecture of Professor Daynia Ballot, School of Clinical Medicine

What if the unthinkable happened?

This has been the year when the unthinkable happened.  How can we navigate uncertain times? Understanding our local context assists us to plan for the future.  The practice of quality improvement, with continual reflection on patient care and outcomes, with ongoing efforts to improve, is essential for any health care practitioner.  I will talk about this in the context of high risk newborns – survival, sepsis and developmental outcome. 

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ADVANCING A DIVERSIFIED ACADEMY AT WITS: Opportunities and challenges for Transformation

The current and incoming Vice-Chancellor's will be in conversation with academics who have participated in the Diversifying the Academy programme.

Transformation and Employment Equity Office (TEEO) event

Under the leadership of the current Vice Chancellor: Professor Adam Habib; new and significant contributions have been made to develop a diversified academy at Wits over the past 7 to 8 years. Diversifying the Academy (DTA) in relation to increasing the representation of Coloured and African academics forms part of the Transformation Pillars of the University. Policies, structures and resourcing have been mobilised to enable this development. This webinar presents a moment of reflection on the successes, shortcomings and future of the program in conversation with the current and incoming Vice-Chancellors. This is an opportunity for faculty to engage with the Vice-Chancellors and advise on equity initiatives of this nature at Wits and how academics believe such initiatives can be enhanced. 

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Annual Nadine Gordimer Lecture presented by Thuli Madonsela

2021 Nadine Gordimer Lecture will be presented by Professor Thuli Madonsela. Title: The Audacity to Speak an Inconvenient Truth

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, the Friends of Nadine Gordimer Committee and the School of Literature, Language and Media are pleased to announce that the 2021 Nadine Gordimer Lecture will be presented by Professor Thuli Madonsela.

Professor Thulisile “Thuli” Madonsela, an advocate of the High Court of South Africa, is the Law Trust Chair in Social Justice and a law professor at the University of Stellenbosch. She is the founder of the Thuma Foundation, an independent democracy leadership and literacy public benefit organisation, and convener of the Social Justice M-Plan, aimed at catalysing progress towards ending poverty and reducing inequality by 2030. She is a monthly columnist for the Financial Mail and City Press/Rapport.

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Memorial Service in honour of Professor Bob Scholes.

The University of the Witwatersrand invites you to join us in remembering the life and work of the late Prof. Bob Scholes (1957- 2021) on 13 May 2021 at 16:00

The University of the Witwatersrand invites you to join us in remembering the life and work of the late Professor Bob Scholes (1957- 2021), a world renowned scientist who made a significant impact in the fields of climate change and environmental studies globally.

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Please send your messages of condolences to events@wits.ac.za so that they can be collated and shared with the family.

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Innovation in Universities – What does it mean? presented by Dr. David Secher

Wits Science and Innovation Seminar Series. Innovation in Universities – What does it mean? webinar presented by Dr. David Secher on 27 May 2021 at 16:00 CAT

Join Dr. David Secher for the Wits Science and Innovation Seminar Series

Title: Innovation in Universities – What does it mean?

Innovation means many different things. During the past twenty years many universities have questioned their traditional roles of teaching and/or research and embraced a third activity known (narrowly) in the USA as “Technology Transfer”, or in the UK as “Knowledge Transfer” or “Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation”, or in some other countries as “Innovation”. How has this developed? What are the barriers? What are the consequences for traditional universities?

Examples from different countries will be discussed, including the speaker’s personal experience. The
dramatic changes in his university (Cambridge) will be discussed, as well as lessons learnt from teaching innovation and entrepreneurship across the world.

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The University as a Laboratory for Innovation… and a Catalyst for Regional Development

Dr Garimella, the 27th President of the University of Vermont and a strong proponent of the value of public higher education will deliver his talk.

The speaker will share his experiences with fostering an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to realise “discovery with delivery,” illustrated with examples of creating new systems and overcoming specific challenges, in the context of US public research universities. A strategic focus coupled with a focus on implementation steps helps bring about such a transformation across the educational, research and engagement missions of a university. Comprehensive partnerships with public, private and non-profit organizations, both domestic and international, serve to amplify the impact. A vision offered by the US National Science Board for America’s science and engineering enterprise (Vision 2030, www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2020/nsb202015.pdf) including four elements – talent, practice of science, infrastructure and partnerships – will be discussed alongside recent US federal government conversations in favour of investments in technology, innovation and partnerships.

The lecture will take place online via Zoom.

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Wits University Information Sessions Grade 11 Western Cape Province

Wits University visits different areas in South Africa annually. Due to Covid 19 we are doing so online.

The Schools Liaison Office at Wits University wants to ensure that all learners have the necessary information in preparation for their university studies. The webinar hosted by the institution will look at the following:

• Wits entrance criteria
• How to count APS points
• Qualification options
• Student financial aid
• Residence
• Sport opportunities

The session promises to be insightful and highly informative.

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A personal journey into the heart of the atomic nucleus.

Part of Physics Open Day

The Physics Head of School, Professor Deena Naidoo has the pleasure of inviting you to a talk delivered by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi.

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Lessons learnt from the Domestic Violence responses during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Lessons learnt from the Domestic Violence responses during the COVID-19 lockdowns in South Africa, UK, Ireland, and Australia. Results from the DAHLIA-19 Mappin

DAHLIA-19 (Domestic Abuse: Harnessing Learning Internationally under Covid-19) is an international research study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The study is exploring domestic abuse policy and practice for survivors, children and perpetrators during the Covid-19 pandemic in four countries South Africa, UK, Ireland and Australia

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Nadine Gordimer Lecture 2022. The Vocabulary of Witnesses, presented by Dr. Mandla Langa

This is a hybrid event. Only the first 200 in-person RSVPs will be accepted. Thereafter only online viewing can be accommodated.

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