Michèle Ramsay

Michèle Ramsay (PhD) is director of the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB), Professor in Human Genetics and South African Research Chair in Genomics and Bioinformatics of African Populations at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her research centres on genetic associations with complex diseases (mostly related to cardiometabolic diseases and traits), pharmacogenomics and population genetics, with a focus on African populations. It aims to explore the role of genetics, other risk factors and the environment in placing some people at greater risk for developing common diseases, and how such knowledge can be translated into precision medicine approaches in Africa. Michèle is deeply committed to promoting research excellence in Africa, contributing to research that accurately represents African populations in global science, and strengthening capacity in the fields of genomics and precision medicine in the next generation of African investigators, in order to promote health on the continent. 

Michèle was a member of the International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing and on the scientific program committee for 3^rd International Summit on Human Genome Editing (London, March 2023). She is chair of the Academy of Science of South Africa Steering Committee to draft a national Code of Conduct for Research to inform the interpretation of the Protection of Personal Information Act. She serves on the steering committee of the Human Heredity and Health in Africa Consortium (H3Africa), the Scientific Advisory Committee of the H3Africa Bioinformatics Network (H3ABioNet), Advisory Panel (Africa) for the Wellcome Genome Campus Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences Overseas Course, and as External Advisory Board member of the EU-Africa PerMed Consortium. In addition, she is immediate past President of the International Federation of Human Genetics Societies and co-chair of the International Hundred-thousand+ Cohorts Consortium (IHCC) and on the steering group for developing a blue-print for the African Population Cohorts Consortium (APCC).