This International Day of Women and Girls in Science , the Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR )  celebrates the remarkable women strengthening research capacity across Southern Africa. Our network is shaped by the leadership and expertise of Professor Katharina Kranzer , Dr Rashida Ferrand , Professor Virginia Bond , Dr Constance Mackworth-Young , Dr Rudo Chingono , Dr Mikaela Coleman , Dr Sesaltina Nora Monteiro and Dr Kwame Shanaube and many other dedicated c

The Southern Africa Research Capacity Network began 2026 with a series of strategic meetings bringing together program leads and PhD, MSc and Postdoctoral Fellows from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. These meetings created a valuable platform to support fellows’ academic progression, training, and professional growth, while also aligning program activities for the year ahead. Program leads and fellows jointly reviewed research milestones, training needs, mentorship plans, an

Emilia Juceline Eugénio de Carvalho Fumane  is a SOFAR Fellow from Mozambique begins her PhD in Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). During her stay in London, Emilia participated in the university’s induction and doctoral skills training programmes and met with her academic supervisors as she launched her doctoral research. Her PhD project aims to evaluate patient outcomes within Mozambique’s integrated tuberculosis

The Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR) has released the second issue of its newsletter , showcasing key milestones, achievements, and collaborations across its growing regional network. This issue highlights SOFAR’s inaugural Annual Meeting in Zambia , regional PhD supervisor and GIS trainings , and the continued progress of MSc, PhD, and postdoctoral fellows across Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. It also features fellows’ research achievements, international

The Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR) held its inaugural Annual Meeting from 6–7 November 2025 at the scenic Chaminuka Nature Reserve near Lusaka, Zambia. The two-day event brought together 38 participants, including MSc, PhD, and Postdoctoral fellows, supervisors, mentors, and programme administrators from partner institutions across Southern Africa. The meeting kicked off with warm welcoming remarks from Dr. Kwame Shanaube, Executive Director at Zambart and

High tuberculosis rates and rising Type 2 Diabetes present overlapping challenges in Mozambique. SOFAR Fellow Denise Michela Milice (MD, MPH) reflects on strategies for connecting care to improve patient outcomes and inform future research. In Mozambique, patients often face both TB and Type 2 Diabetes, yet the health system largely treats these conditions separately. In a thoughtful reflection, Denise explores how integrating services can address gaps in care, improve follow

Sombo Fwoloshi , a proud London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) alumna, has returned to the institution to pursue her PhD in the Department of Clinical Research, under Infectious and Tropical Diseases (ITD). She began her studies in September 2025 and recently travelled to London to complete her registration and attend doctoral transferable skills courses, which strengthen essential research, communication, and professional development skills. As a Southern Afr

Richard Mwape , from Zambia , began his PhD studies at the L ondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)  in September 2025.His research focuses on validating mucosal biomarkers as predictors of disease severity in paediatric respiratory tract infections , which could help improve early diagnosis and management of respiratory illnesses in children. While in London, Richard completed his registration and attended doctoral transferable skills courses , which equip stud

We are delighted to share that Denise Michela Milice  a Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR) fellow with Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS) in Mozambique, has begun PhD studies in Public Health Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Her research focuses on assessing health system readiness for the integration of tuberculosis (TB) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) services in Mozambique. Specifically, she will explore the prevalence of T2D among peop

Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR) PhD fellow JayJay Karumazondo presented at the STI & HIV 2025 World Congress in...

The Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) in Zimbabwe will host the course "Introduction to Health Geographic Information...

In March 2025, Zambart leadership met with the Africa CDC Southern Africa Regional Office in Lusaka to discuss collaboration under the...

The SOFAR team in Zimbabwe, comprising Dr. Constance Mackworth-Young and Prof. Katharina Kranzer, recently met with Dr. Thenjiwe Sisimayi...

We’re excited to launch the first issue of the Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR) newsletter! This inaugural edition...

We are thrilled to share that Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR) partners from ZAMBART  and BIiomedical Research and...

We’re excited to share that the SOFAR (Southern Africa Research Capacity Network) Project is now featured on the EU CORDIS platform !...

The  SOFAR study coordinator Dr. Mikaela Coleman completed a series of site visits to network partners Zambart in Zambia, Instituto...

In April, representatives from the SOFAR network finance teams in Zambia and Zimbabwe, along with the Principal Investigator and Study...

We’re excited to celebrate Fiona Gambanga  and Jayjay Karumazondo , who have started PhD studies in Epidemiology at the London School of...

A newly recruited cohort of SOFAR fellows has officially joined the Digital Global Health Academy, an innovative programme designed to...