H3Africa RHDGen Health Scholars Programme
Master’s, Doctoral, & Postdoctoral Studentships in The Genetics of Rheumatic
Heart Disease
Department of Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
About the studentships:
Applicants with a strong academic background are invited for several masters, doctoral and
postdoctoral positions in the Genetics of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHDGen) Health Scholars
Programme that is funded under the Wellcome Trust Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa)
scheme. The RHDGen Health Scholars Programme consists of one postdoctoral studentship in clinical
science, three PhD studentships (one each in molecular genetics, statistical genetics and
bioinformatics), two masters’ studentships in molecular genetics, and eight clinical studentships for
Master of Medicine registrars. The studentships are available on a competitive basis to students
affiliated to the following institutions of the RHDGen network: Al Shaab Teaching Hospital, Khartoum,
Sudan; Instituto Nacional de Saude, Maputo, Mozambique; University College Hospital, Ibadan,
Nigeria; University of Cape Town, South Africa; University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Mulago Hospital,
Kampala, Uganda; University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; and Windhoek Central Hospital, Namibia.
The postdoctoral studentship in clinical science is designed for a medical doctor who will undertake fulltime research training under the supervision of Professor Bongani Mayosi at the University of Cape
Town. This clinical scholar will oversee the phenotyping work, and undertake research on clinicallyrelevant aspects of the genetics of RHD. The PhD students will visit the laboratories of Professors
Heather Cordell (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK), Bernard Keavney (University of Manchester, UK), and
Guillaume Pare in Hamilton, Canada during the first year where they will receive training in the
genome-wide association analysis, bioinformatics, and statistics. They will form the core group that will
transfer the work to Cape Town during the subsequent phases of the study. These postdoctoral and
PhD studentships will be funded for the four years of the project. The masters students in molecular
genetics will work under the supervision of Dr Gasnat Shaboodien at the University of Cape Town for a
period of two years. The postdoctoral, doctoral and masters studentship will fund the stipend of the
successful candidates for full-time research.
The clinical studentships for registrars will recruit salaried specialist trainees in internal medicine,
paediatrics, medical genetics or other related discipline who wish to carry out their MMed dissertation
over their three to four years of specialist training and serve as Data Officers on this project. Funding
will be made available for these clinicians to attend short courses in clinical research methods during
their first year, report on progress at the annual meetings of the network, and supplement a salary
where necessary.
Application process:
All applications should include (1) a 1-2 page letter of application; (2) a full curriculum vitae and (3)
either the names and contact details OR letters of reference from at least two academics who have
taught, supervised or worked alongside the applicant during their university training.
Applications should be forwarded to Dr. Mark Engel at Mark.Engel@uct.ac.za with the subject line
“Masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral studentships” followed by the reference number I-2796.
The RHDGen Network reserves the right to disqualify incomplete and/or inappropriate applications, and
to change the conditions of award or to make no awards at all.
Closing date for applications: 15 September 2013
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