Research at the Tshwane University of Technology is conducted through several formal structures, including TUT research and development platform Chairs.
TUT’s research and development platform Chairs are catalysts to impactful research and ground-breaking innovations. They are also a litmus test for new institutes, centres and hubs. The TUT Chair in Pharmaceutical and Biotech Advancement in Africa, held by National Research Foundation (NRF) rated researcher, Prof David Katerere, is one such chair. The Chair is situated at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Faculty of Science.
Given the urgent need to capacitate the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors in Africa to deliver on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 (Zero Hunger) and 3 (Good Health), the TUT Chair in Pharmaceutical and Biotech Advancement in Africa is involved in training and research which supports industry needs.
Prof Katerere is a Full Professor of Pharmaceutical Science who has worked in pharmaceutical and biotech practice and research for the past 25 years, in four countries on three continents.
The focal areas of the Chair, which was established in 2021, are pharmaceutical development of paediatric formulations. The Chair also does product development and testing of herbal medicinal products, cannabis-based medicines and mushroom-derived cosmetics and nutraceuticals. Research into the quality of medicines is also conducted by the Chair. Cannabis and hemp research is done via the TUT/CSIR Cannabis and Hemp Research Hub.
“The Chair hopes to make a difference to African patients by increasing access to medicines and to help build better livelihoods through partnerships with industry and entrepreneurs,” said Prof Katerere, who is also co-Director of the CSIR/TUT Cannabis Research Centre.
Prof David Katerere
More about Prof Katerere
He holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland.
He has published more than 50 journal articles and is co-editor of three books: “Ethnoveterinary Botanical Medicines” (2010), “Systems Analysis Approach for Complex Global Challenges” (2018) and “Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge for the Modern Era” (2019).
He is a member of advisory committees of South African Health Products Regulatory Authority and the Global Health Supply Chain Consortium, co-founded by the University of Michigan and University of Southern California, in the US.
Prof Katerere is an advisor to the pharmaceutical industry in Africa with a demonstrated history of working in research, higher education and medicine regulation. He has vast international experience with strong collaborative links in research and training, innovation and creative entrepreneurship.