The African Placenta research network

Dr. Nadia Ikumi (neé Chanzu) is an immunologist based in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She holds a BSc in Biochemistry with Honours from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, an MSc in Biomedical Sciences from Kingston University London, UK, and a PhD Tropical and Infectious Diseases from the University of Nairobi.

Nadia joined UCT as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of Immunology within the Department of Pathology, funded by the prestigious AXA Research Fund. This fellowship allowed her to develop her expertise in placental immunology at Harvard University, USA. She subsequently received another fellowship from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) group on Preterm Birth Prevention and Management (PRIME). Upon completing her postdoctoral fellowship, Nadia was appointed as a Research Fellow in UCT's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She now serves as a Lecturer - Pathology Research in the Department of Pathology.

Nadia has won multiple awards. Notably, she was the first African recipient of the AXA Postdoctoral Research Fund Fellowship. She has received grant awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; was a fellow of the CIHR, International Infectious Disease & Global Health Training Program (CIHR, IID & GHTP). Additionally, she has been honoured with a New Investigator Award and numerous scholarships, allowing her to present at significant conferences, including the Annual Meeting of New Champions at the World Economic Forum, where she participated in hosting an Ideas Lab.

Nadia’s research primarily explores the impact of maternal infection on placenta-mediated diseases, building upon her postdoctoral investigations. Integral to Nadia’s research is her passion for highly effective training of students including undergraduate and postgraduate, as well as postdoctoral research fellows. Furthermore, she is an advocate for equity and inclusivity, serving as a Chairperson and Faculty representative on key committees focused on Transformation and Equity at UCT.

Mushi Matjila is Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. He has 15 years’ experience as Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at tertiary level Groote Schuur Hospital and has provided specialist and sub-specialist clinical services at Groote Schuur Maternity Centre, as well as trained specialists and sub- specialists and conducted undergraduate teaching during this period. His clinical interests are embedded in High-Risk Obstetrics, Reproductive Medicine and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. He is the founding member, and first Chair of the Departmental Transformation Committee (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) and has previously served on the Faculty of Health Sciences Transformation Committee. He is current Chair of the Departmental Senior Leadership Executive Committee (SLE).

Professor Matjila’s research focuses on the molecular aspects of aberrant placentation, as well as maternal- fetal dialogue in placental-based disorders such as Preeclampsia, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Assisted Reproduction. In particular, his research focuses on the reproductive roles of kisspeptin and angiogenic factors on trophoblast invasion and maternal immune tolerance. He is Director and Principal Investigator of Human African Molecular Placental Research Platform (HAMLET), housed in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Groote Schuur Hospital. HAMLET aims to harness modern approaches and technologies to understand human placental development and function. Through HAMLET, we aim to forge a transdisciplinary intra-African network by training African basic science and clinical postgraduate students with the with the intent of improving maternal and perinatal health in South Africa and on the continent. He is also a member of the Receptor Biology Unit at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) at the University of Cape Town. Prof Matjila is current Chair of the Faculty Research Equipment Committee (FEC), member of University Equipment Committee (UEC) and Senate member of the University of Cape Town.

Prof Matjila has a Ministerial appointment as Chair of the National Health Research Committee (NHRC)- the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Research for Health. He has served the previous NHRC as Chair of the Policy and Strategy Subcommittee of the NHRC and its Deputy Chair. He is serving a second term as Chair of the Academic Liaison Committee of the South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SASOG) and is Senate Member of the Colleges of Medicines of South Africa (CMSA) and Council Member of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (COG). He has been involved in the organization of local and international conferences, including serving as Chair of the Abstract Committee for the World Congress of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) hosted in Cape Town.

He has served as Section Editor for BMC Women’s Health and is Reviewer for numerous journals, including the European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology (EJOGRB), Biology of Reproduction (BOR) and Neuroendocrinology (NEN). Prof Matjila serves on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Global Reports (AJOG Global Reports).

Dr Louise Afran is an immunologist specialising in perinatal genomics, with a particular focus on maternal and infant health in Sub-Saharan Africa. She leads single-cell and multi-omic studies exploring the immunological and molecular drivers of BCG trained immunity and placental biology to determine underlying drivers of adverse birth outcomes, including stillbirth, low birth weight, with a special interest in HIV-exposed uninfected infants. Based in Malawi, she plays a key role in several international collaborations across Africa and Europe. Louise is passionate about equitable research partnerships, capacity building, and translating complex science into impact for vulnerable populations.

Dr Jackie Chokoe-Maluleke is an Anatomical Pathologist who works at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) laboratory in the Coastal region, Cape Town South Africa. She is also the Cytopathology lead at the University of Cape Town. Dr Chokoe loves Cytopathology, Gynaecological Pathology, GIT, Perinatal Pathology, Oral Pathology and ENT. She is also passionate about community outreach whereby the school learners come to the department for job shadowing, undergraduate and Post-graduate teaching.