The IDM has curated a go-to range of reliable information to guide and assist staff and students during this time of crisis. We are continuously updating the various COVID-19 resources listed on our webpage below.
The IDM - a cross-faculty, multidisciplinary postgraduate health research institute
Based on the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences campus in a 7,100 sqm state-of-the-art facility, we operate in the fields of infectious diseases and molecular medicine.
Clinical research relevant to the needs of Africa's people
The IDM influences health policy and practice by translating our scientific discoveries and applying them in various communities; community relationships and trust are critical.
Capacity building in the IDM
The largest research entity at UCT, the IDM is a national leader in research and health sciences human capital development.
IDM driving world class research
We conduct research at the laboratory-clinic-community interface by engaging a wide range of scientific and clinical disciplines; with 62 consortia linking us with 183 institutions in 22 African countries and 24 countries beyond.
University accredited research institute - Tackling diseases of importance in Africa - Developing people - Impacting health policy and practice
The news that the University of Oxford has developed a COVID-19 vaccine that appears safe and has triggered an immune response is an encouraging step in our long journey toward returning to normality. It also provides the opportunity to join forces to tackle the pandemic and highlight Africa’s scientific leadership. This according to the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Kelly Chibale.
Twelve researchers were offered the opportunity to reflect on the key challenges and opportunities faced by the field of genetics and genomics in an expert-led exploration. This initiative was in celebration of Nature Reviews Genetics’ 20th anniversary. Professor Ambroise Wonkam, director of Genetic Medicine of African Populations (GeneMAP) based at the Division of Human Genetics, in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences is amongst these researchers.
South Africa has joined global counterparts in search for a COVID-19 vaccine and the University of Cape Town (UCT) is lending a hand, participating in three international trials in the country, alongside several other universities.
New research investigating the genetic modifiers of long-term survival in individuals with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) reveals a range of possible pathways for novel therapeutic interventions. Professor Ambroise Wonkam, principle investigator and director of Genetic Medicine of African Populations (GeneMAP) in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Division of Human Genetics, says apart from the study’s clinical potential, the fact that it is so deeply rooted in Africa also presents the opportunity for a paradigm shift in science policy and diplomacy.
