The end of the year has arrived giving us an opportunity to take stock as well as prepare for the festive season ahead. I would like to thank the Faculty community for another exciting, innovative and meritorious year. I take pride in the dedication of our staff and students in pursuing excellence, service to others and contributing to a healthier, and more just society. In this bumper issue we share the accomplishments of our Faculty staff and students through their academic work, passion for the arts and impactful research.

We congratulate staff and students for recognition of demonstrated excellence: among them are Professor Heather Zar who was named the 2018 Woman in Science Laureate; Professor Karen Silwa who received an Honorary Doctoral degree from Paris Diderot University; Professor Leslie London who was bestowed with the prestigious PHILA Award; our students who were recognised at the Student Leadership Awards; undergraduate researchers and their growing minds; and final year medical student Morne Khats who won South Africa’s Got Talent with a cappella group AnecNote.

We say farewell to Professor Diane McIntyre who retires this year after thirty years of service in the Faculty as an academic, researcher and advocate for universal health care and a well-funded public health system. We take a journey through her illustrious career and peek into the future as she shares her plans for a quiet life in the Eastern Cape. We wish her well in her new endeavours.

Mental health is in the spotlight with news from the initiatives of the Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health (CPMH) during mental health month. Through a symposium and roundtable discussions CMPH highlighted the need for increased awareness of and resources to treat mental health in Africa.

Postgraduate students and staff from the School of Public Health and Family Medicine (SPHFM) contributed to a chapter in the second edition of Climate Risk and Vulnerability: A Handbook for Southern Africa. The 'Human Health' chapter covers pertinent issues within the climate change and health nexus, such as key drivers and processes of change within human health, response measures and the health sector’s role in mitigation.

We also celebrate the contribution of Matthew Brownie, and friend, Megan Herr who ran the Cape Town Marathon to raise funds for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Research. Their R205 500 donation to the Neurosciences Institute will support research on advanced understanding of the brain to improve care and outcomes after head injuries.  

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful and restful festive season.

Best wishes
Prof Bongani Mayosi
Dean