Inaugural lecture: Professor Ambroise Wonkam

Dear colleagues and students

I write to invite you to the first Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture of the year. The lecture will be presented by Professor Ambroise Wonkam, professor of Medical Genetics, director of Genetic Medicine of African Populations (GeneMAP) and deputy dean of research in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

The lecture is titled “Enabling genetic medicine”. Professor Wonkam will discuss how clinical applications of DNA technology could provide immediate benefits for healthcare. Although there is increasing evidence of participation of African scientists in genomics research, there is little evidence of its major impact in practice. GeneMAP envisions enhancing the advancement of genetic and precision medicine in Africa through genetic research programmes that focus on African-specific conditions, with special attention to training and knowledge translation that respect people’s socio-cultural perceptions and ethical values.

Professor Wonkam is the recipient of the 2003 Denber-Pinard Prize for the best thesis from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He won the very competitive Clinical Genetics Society International Award for 2014 from the British Society for Genetic Medicine. He is president of the African Society of Human Genetics, member of the steering committee of Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) consortium, board member of the International Federation of Human Genetics Societies, council member of the Human Genome Organisation, and steering committee member of the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative.

Please join us for this first lecture of 2019 in the Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture series.

When: Wednesday, 13 March 2019

Where: New Learning Centre Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, Anzio Road, Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT

Time: 17:30 (doors open at 17:00)

RSVP: Please confirm your attendance online by Friday, 8 March 2019.

For further information, please email or phone 021 650 4847.

Please note: Due to limited space, seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sincerely

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor

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