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UCT RESEARCH REPORT 2012
2012 marked the centenary of the Faculty of Health Sciences
(FHS). It is therefore fitting that the achievements of the year
were notable, and reflect the positive growth of the faculty
over time.
I
n 2010, the agreed and stated aspiration of the Faculty of Health Sciences
was to achieve a position among the top fifty health science faculties in the
world by 2017. In 2012, five years ahead of target, we became the first tertiary
institution from any developing country globally to be placed in the Top 50 of
the
Times Higher Education
World University Rankings for clinical, pre-clinical
and health universities. Our subject-specific ranking was strongly influenced,
by research performance, with scores of 89% on citations and 96% on
innovation. This accomplishment was particularly special, because it coincided
with the faculty’s centenary celebrations during 2012, marking 100 years of
extraordinary growth, achievement and excellence in advancing health. Among
more than 70 centenary-branded events, during 2012 were research-centred
activities that celebrated our collaborations (both within UCT and externally),
as well as activities that centred around public engagement.
The inaugural Wolfson Memorial Colloquium,
Generating Knowledge Against
Poverty
, was held in September, in recognition of contributions to the university by
Lord Wolfson of Marylebone and the Wolfson Foundation. The keynote address,
A New Agenda for Global Health
, was delivered by Baron Peter Piot, Professor of
Global Health and Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
and the work of five top UCT scholars was profiled in this arena. The programme for
this prestigious event included conferring four Young Investigators Best Publication
Awards for 2011.
A centenary academic debate was hosted in December, on the topic
Cholesterol is not
an important risk factor for heart disease and current dietary recommendations do more
harm than good
. The lively presentations by proponent Professor Tim Noakes from the
faculty and opponent Dr Jacques Rossouw of the National Institutes of Health in the
USA were streamed live on the Internet to more than 1 000 people around the world
and uploaded to YouTube. The faculty also hosted a community partnership event to
encourage ongoing dialogue with the communities involved in our research, as well as a
more focused community collaboration event, specifically highlighting the faculty’s work
with the Masiphumelele population,
Bringing science to the community
. The centenary
theme was also incorporated into research days hosted by a number of departments,
and was highlighted during the 2012 inaugural lectures of FHS researchers, who included
professors Anthony Figaji, Clive Gray, Valerie Mizrahi, and Carolyn Williamson.
HEALTH SCIENCES
Faculty of
Dean’s Report
PROFESSOR
MARIAN JACOBS
Dean of Health Sciences