Appointment of new Dean of Health Sciences at UCT
Released: 10h0, 17 November 2015

17 November 2015

Dear colleagues and students

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Professor Bongani Mayosi, the Head of the Department of Medicine, has been appointed the new Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town. He will take up his post on 1 September 2016, after completing a sabbatical at Harvard University from January to August 2016.

Professor Mayosi's work focuses on heart diseases particularly prevalent in developing countries. He led a groundbreaking series of multinational research studies into the management of pericarditis, including an African trial of the use of steroids in treating tuberculous (TB) pericarditis. More recently, Professor Mayosi led the first large-scale, multinational study of rheumatic heart disease in the world (first phase). You can read more about this work here.

Professor Mayosi earned his BMedSci (with distinction) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 1986, followed by his MBChB (with distinction) in 1989. He was admitted to the Fellowship of the College of Physicians of SA in 1995. He earned his DPhil from the University of Oxford in 2003. He joined UCT in 1992 as Senior House Officer in the Department of Medicine. He has been Professor and Head of Department of Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT since 2006. Some highlights of his career include:

• Honorary Registrar, The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. 2002-2006
• Elected Member (by Senate) of UCT Council. 2004-2008
• Chairman, Subcommittee for Postgraduate Education and Training (Medical), Health Professions Council of South Africa. 2004-2010
• President, South African Heart Association. 2008-2009
• President, College of Physicians of South Africa. 2008-2014
• Chairman, National Health Research Committee. 2010-2018
• Chairman, Rheumatic Fever Council, World Heart Federation. 2011-2014
• President, Pan-African Society of Cardiology. 2013-present
• Trustee, UCT Trust (UK). 2014-present
• Chairman, Ministerial Task Team investigating the Health Professions Council of South Africa. 2015

Since 2010 Professor Mayosi has attracted more than R100 million in research grants. As mentioned above, he has developed valuable collaborations with academics in other countries (and especially across Africa) in researching the management of TB pericarditis, prevention of rheumatic heart disease, and genetics of heart disease.

Professor Mayosi has held numerous editorial responsibilities over the last 15 years, and has published more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed journals. An abridged CV of Professor Mayosi's extensive teaching, research and administrative experience is available here.

Professor Mayosi has received many awards and honours during his distinguished career, including inter alia: election to the Fellowship of the World Academy of Arts and Science (2013); South African Medical Association/Bonitas Medical Fund Merit Award for Health Research (2013); National Science and Technology Foundation – BHP Billiton Award (2012); National Research Foundation Award for Transforming the Science Cohort in South Africa (2011); and the Order of Mapungubwe, Silver (2009) to name just a few, more recent honours.

Professor Gregory Hussey has been the Interim Dean since Professor Wim de Villiers resigned to take up the post of Rector and Vice-Chancellor at Stellenbosch University, and he has kindly agreed to continue in this capacity until August 2016. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Hussey for his excellent management of the faculty during this challenging transition period.

Sincerely

Dr Max Price
Vice-Chancellor