News
Prof Bongani Mayosi and Assoc Prof Liesl Zuhlke have been awarded a R12-million grant from the UK-MRC to enable a multi-disciplinary research team to develop a comprehensive understanding of congenital heart disease in Africa. This work aims to reduce premature mortality from cardiovascular disease through improved diagnosis, management and follow-up of African children and adults with CHD. Prof Zar wished them and their team much success with this work.
Dr Mignon McCulloch has been awarded the Roscoe Robinson award from the International Society of Nephrology for her contributions to paediatric nephrology globally. She will be presented with this award at the World Congress of Nephrology in Mexico later this year. This is one of the most prestigious awards in nephrology (adult and paediatrics) - it is extraordinary for someone to get this award at this stage of their career, so a huge accolade for Mignon and the work that she has done.
Dr Shrish Budree has been awarded the Hamilton Naki scholarship to undertake work on the role of the intestinal microbiome in childhood pneumonia in the Drakenstein child health study. He will be doing this work as part of his PhD and in collaboration with Ramnik Xavier's lab at the Broad Institute, Boston and our own microbiology and Drakenstein teams at the Red Cross Children's Hospital. The Department wishes him much success with this exciting work.
The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is the largest ICU for children in Africa. This 22-bed facility is a remarkable life-saving unit providing emergency care for critically ill or injured children, mostly from within the Western Cape, but also from areas further afield such as the Eastern Cape and other African countries.