CERI: Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation

Africa faces some of its toughest challenges in infectious disease, health inequity, and youth unemployment. But the continent also holds the talent to solve them.
This week, we welcomed another cohort of the African STARS Fellowship.
We kicked off on Monday with a welcoming dinner, drumbeats, and the kind of energy that comes from 12 countries including : Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Ethiopia, Botswana, Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa.

Fellows also received a warm welcome at CERI and Stellenbosch University leadership, including Prof. Sibusiso Moyo, Prof Kanshukan Rajaratnam, Prof Tulio de Oliveira, Dr Richard Gordon, and Prof Lenine Liebenberg, each reminding them that the work ahead is bigger than any one of them but together we can do better and advance public health in Africa.

Once again, congratulations to these fellows; we can’t wait to see what they will achieve as they advance Africa. This fellowship is made possible in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and in collaboration with Center for Africa’s Resilience to Epidemics (CARE), Institut Pasteur de Dakar.

Africa faces some of its toughest challenges in infectious disease, health inequity, and youth unemployment. But the continent also holds the talent to solve them.
This week, we welcomed another cohort of the African STARS Fellowship.
We kicked off last Monday with a welcoming dinner, drumbeats, and the kind of energy that comes from 12 countries including : Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Ethiopia, Botswana, Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa.

Fellows also received a warm welcome at CERI and Stellenbosch University leadership, including Prof. Sibusiso Moyo, Prof Kanshukan Rajaratnam, Prof Tulio de Oliveira, Dr Richard Gordon, and Prof Lenine Liebenberg, each reminding them that the work ahead is bigger than any one of them but together we can do better and advance public health in Africa.

Once again, congratulations to these fellows; we can’t wait to see what they will achieve as they advance Africa. This fellowship is made possible in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and in collaboration with Center for Africa’s Resilience to Epidemics (CARE), Institut Pasteur de Dakar.

Genomic surveillance isn’t just for pandemics. It’s how we build the evidence base to fight diseases that carry a heavy burden across Africa and globally.

Yesterday , Derek Tshiabuila defended his PhD at , researching viral recombination and genomic surveillance in hepatitis B and C, linking clinical sequencing to global epidemiology.

Supervised by Prof. Tulio de Oliveira, co-supervised by Prof. Darren P. Martin and Dr San E. James.

Congratulations, Dr. Tshiabuila, we are so proud of you 👏🏽✨

AfricanScience

We congratulate Prof de Oliveira on receiving the Presidential Order of Mapungubwe in Gold, South Africa's highest civilian honour, awarded by President .

This recognition reflects more than two decades of work building Africa's capacity to detect, track, and respond to infectious disease threats. As Prof de Oliveira said himself: "This was a team effort."

A proud moment for CERI, , KRISP, and African science. 🌍🎉

🔗 Full statement: https://ceri.africa/news/

The conversation about AI in South Africa is moving fast. But beyond the hype, what does the future of discovery actually look like, and what does it mean for this country?

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠, 𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬?

The Stellenbosch University Industry Dinner Series is coming to Sandton on Thursday, 4 June 2026, to tackle exactly that.

The evening brings together alumni and industry leaders for panel discussions, speed-networking, and dinner, with Prof Tulio de Oliveira (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, SU) and Prof Kanshukan Rajaratnam (Director, School for Data Science and Computational Thinking) leading the discussion.

Register: https://quicket.co.za/events/373613-industry-dinner-series-science-medicine-and-health-sciences/ #/

Message us for a complimentary ticket

Thursday, 4 June 2026 | 18:00 | Protea Hotel Balalaika, Maude Street, Sandton

"If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is that depending on the rest of the world to solve our health problems is a vulnerability we can no longer ignore."

Congratulations to the Dr on being awarded a three-year NRF grant to build the automation systems that make vaccine production in Africa faster, more reliable, and less dependent on imported materials.

When young African scientists are supported to lead, the entire continent's health future shifts.

As we commemorate , we celebrate the young African scientists who are turning the continent's challenges into homegrown solutions.

Kennedy Mulungu is developing alginate-based biodegradable sanitary pads and wound dressings through his Kelp Alginate project, with plans to commercialise in Malawi.

As Kennedy puts it: "Science must move beyond research into sustainable enterprises capable of creating meaningful impact."

At CERI, capacitating the next generation of African innovators is at the heart of what we do through the African STARS Fellowship, in partnership with the
and

Congratulations to Kennedy on being selected as one of only 10 young innovators from more than 900 applicants to attend the UN Science, Technology and Innovation Forum in New York earlier this year.
Read more: https://ceri.africa/news/african-innovation-with-global-impact/