Basic HTML Version
308
UCT RESEARCH REPORT 2012
Research Fields and Staff
Professor Raj S. Ramesar (UCT/PGWC)
Head of Division and Personal Chair
Director: MRC Human Genetics Research Unit
Principal Investigator: Genetics of Bipolar Disorder;
Genetics of Retinal Degenerative Disorders; Molecular
Genetics of Complex Disorders; Pharmacogenetics –
Adverse Drug Reactions in Cancers
Professor Jacquie Greenberg (UCT)
Principal Investigator: Genetics of Neurological Disorders;
Genetics of Neuromuscular Disorders
Co-Principal Investigator: Genetics of Retinal Degenerative
Disorders
Emeritus Professor Peter Beighton
Principal Investigator: Genetics Connective Tissue
Disorders
Honorary Professor Michael Hayden
Co-investigator: Genetics of Neurological Disorders
Honorary Professor Wilmot James
Director: Africa Genome Education Institute; African
Genomics, and Co-host: The Darwin Seminars
Honorary Professor Matthew Wood
Co-investigator: Genetics of Neurological Disorders
Associate Professor Ambroise Wonkam (UCT)
Principal Investigator: Phenotypic correlation of sickle cell
anemia to genotypic variations; Genetics of Deafness
Associate Professor Collet Dandara (UCT)
Principal Investigator: Pharmacogenomics
Dr Karen Fieggen (PGWC / UCT)
Senior Specialist: Principal Investigator: X- linked Mental
Rretardation; Bardet-Biedl Syndrome
Mrs Theresa Ruppelt (NHLS)
Laboratory Manager: Cytogenetics
Contact Details
Postal Address:
Division of Human Genetics, Department of Clinical
Laboratory Sciences, Level 3, Werner and Beit North
Building; Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular
Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape
Town, 7925, Observatory
Telephone: SA (21) 406 6297; Fax: SA (21) 406 6826/650 2010
Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Division Of Immunology
Head of Division: Professor Clive Gray
Profile
The Division of Immunology is involved with a range
of activities from identifying the basic mechanisms of
immunity in infectious disease to laboratory diagnostic
testing in the National Health Laboratory Services at
Groote Schuur Hospital. The vision statement for the
Division of Immunology is “Driving Science to promote
World Health” and in 2012, a detailed strategic document
outlining the next 5-10 years was formulated. Part of
that mission is to formulate and introduce a revised
immunology curriculum for MBChB undergraduate
students at all years of their study. Numerous staff are
also either Full or Associate members of the Institute of
Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM) and
there is a very integrated relationship between the Division
of Immunology and the IIDMM.
Basic Research:
The Division houses the UCT/MRC Unit
on Immunology of Infectious Diseases, an Allergy Section
and the SARCHi chair on ‘Immunology of infectious
diseases in Africa’. The Division has an internationally
recognized expertise in generating transgenic mice, for
use in a wide range of immunological studies applicable
to communicable and non-communicable diseases. These
have been used to make important advances in diseases,
such as Tuberculosis, Bilharzia, African Trypanosomiasis,
Candidiasis and cutaneous Leishmaniasis and have
contributed significantly to identifying fundamental cellular
and molecular immunological mechanisms. Together with
international and national collaborations, these animal
tools contribute to many advances in Immunology and
other fields. Basic research in the Allergy Section has
focused on the role of IL-4 and IL-13 in allergy as well as the
application of novel assays to identify sensitivity profiles.
There are very close ties with the South African component
of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology, providing a very strong genomics thrust to
the Division.
Translational Research:
There is also a strong clinical
immunology emphasis in the Division, specifically in HIV
and TB immunology where studies are underway to
understand adaptive and innate immune responses during
acute HIV infection and in infants exposed to HIV in
utero and upon receiving different childhood vaccinations.
Successfully funded grants have been garnered from the