Implementation of Pharmacogenomics Testing for Effective Care and Treatment in Africa

Collen Masimirembwa, Professor and founding President and Chief Scientific Officer of the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST), Zimbabwe, will generate a research and innovation ecosystem, including training scientists and establishing centers of excellence in genomic medicine research, for the sustainable development of genomic and pharmaceutical medicine capability in Africa. Dr. Masimirembwa is on a mission to achieve world-class drug discovery and development capability in Africa. In 2002, he founded AiBST in Zimbabwe, and over the last ten years has organized a series of drug discovery and development courses across the continent to introduce the subjects and contextualize them for Africa. He will establish three centers of excellence in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Nigeria to help launch an R&D biotechnology industry in Africa by forging partnerships with relevant stakeholders and training industry-focused scientists. He will also perform a prospective, multi-center clinical trial across several countries to determine the effectiveness of pharmacogenetic testing in reducing the incidence of adverse drug reactions and increasing treatment efficacy in African populations.