Glenda Gray - 13th Edition Cover Icon

Celebrating 20 Years of Gender Empowerment With Our Cover Icon Catch Up

After two terms (10 years) as the SAMRC President and CEO, I am now a Distinguished Professor and Director of the Infectious Disease and Oncology Research Institute at the Faculty of Health Sciences at University of Witwatersrand. I am the Co-Principal Investigator of the International NIH-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network, responsible for the majority of HIV vaccines conducted at a global level. I led the Sisonke COVID-19 vaccine trial, that enabled almost half a million front line health care workers to get their COVID-19 vaccines at a time when the government’s vaccine programmme faltered.)

I am an NRF A rated scientist (internationally recognised). This next phase of my career is to build on African solutions for vaccine discovery and manufacturing.

Message

Women have made tremendous strides in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In the area of medical research in South Africa, women predominate as the lead scientists. In some areas of science we see that the glass ceiling is being broken. We must continue to ensure that women develop as leaders in science and address the structural issues that impede progress.