Glenda Gray

Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Director of the Infectious Disease and Oncology Research Institute (Wits) and Professor at the Vaccines and Infectious Disease Division of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre. Co-PI of the international NIH-funded HIV Vaccines Clinical Trials Network and leads the BRILLIANT Consortium, focused on HIV vaccine discovery and development in Africa. She is the Chair of the board of the Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership and serves as a board member of the National Research Foundation and is a member of the UCT council. She is a member of the South African Academy of Science, the African Academy of Science, the World Academy of Science and the US National Academy of Medicine. Formally as first female President and CEO of the SAMRC, I was able to bring my experience and research passion to bear on crucial health issues, besides infectious disease issues, guiding the SAMRC’s research portfolio. In this position, I lead the scientific strategy and prioritization of medical research in South Africa. In my role as CEO, I have expanded our research portfolio and funding base and collaborate on strategic initiatives both on the continent of Africa and Internationally. Over the last 8 years, we have more than doubled our research funding base and have collaborated with the NIH, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, EDTCP, Newton Fund and Wellcome Trust, amongst others. I established key funding initiatives within the BRICS countries, Grand Challenges South Africa with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the SAMRC-UK MRC Newton Fund, SAMRC- Forté (Sweden) Collaboration to Support Inequalities in Health and Health Systems, the SAMRC-CIHR Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (HeLTI) in collaboration with Canada, China and India, the US-South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research (NIH), and the India- South Africa Collaborative Research Programme on HIV/AIDS and TB as well as an SAMRC-EDCTP collaboration on Malaria in Mozambique. My ambition to improve equity in science funding led me to driving initiatives that significantly improved funding for young scientists, black African scientists and women; and established key collaborations and partnerships that will impact scientific research in South Africa. I led an initiative in collaboration with the Beijing Genomics Institute to fund the first whole genome sequencing resource in South Africa. The vision to design and establish the first facility on the African continent capable of large-scale whole genome sequencing started in 2017. On 29th July 2019, the SAMRC Genomics Centre opened its doors to display the latest sequencing technology and cutting-edge facility design. This dedicated center builds on South Africa’s previous participation in the Human Heredity and Health in Africa initiative (H3Africa). I was the first President to fund extramural units at historically disadvantaged institutions, to advance specific research funding initiatives for these institutions and ring-fence granting opportunities for women scientists and Black African scientists. Mindful of the lack of science leaders in South Africa, I established a novel grant to support mid-career scientists to become science leaders. I received the World Academy of Sciences Regional Award for Building Scientific Institutions, a prize awarded to an exceptional scientist who has played key roles in the establishment of lively scientific institutions and has also significantly expanded activities of established institutions in the developing world in recognition of expansion of activities of the SAMRC throughout both Africa and Asia. I am a member of the Board of the National Research Foundation and serve on their Audit and R&D committee. I was a member of the National Council for Innovation for one term before moving to the NRF Board. I have served as a member of the Audit Committee at the University of Cape Town. I have been appointed to the UCT Council by the Minister of Higher Education and serve on their Audit and Risk Committee. I have been appointed to the scientific advisory committee of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Since 2014, I am a member of the National Order Advisory Council, appointed by the President of South Africa.