Professor Kirsty Donald

Kirsty Donald is a Professor in Paediatric Neurology with an interest in developmental disabilities as they manifest in resource-limited settings, such as South Africa. She has a faculty appointment leading the Division of Developmental Paediatrics in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and serve as Deputy Director of the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cape Town. Kirsty is also a member of the policy team for the National Department of Health and Social Development and serves on the UNICEF expert panel for global standard-setting in early childhood development. Her research interests span the genetic and phenotypic characterization of neurodevelopmental disorders in the African context, understanding the interplay of environmental risks to brain health and development in early life, including alcohol exposure, and the impact of maternal mental health and exposure to violence. Currently, this research is focused on using multiple imaging methods, including structural, functional and diffusion imaging, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS) to facilitate a deeper understanding of brain development during early childhood. As a member of the UNITY network, Kirsty has led a range of studies using low field MRI approaches across 6 different countries in Africa and South Asia to improve neuroimaging accessibility in LMICs. Kirsty holds multiyear grants as PI from large funders including the NIH, BGMF and Wellcome LEAP to support this research as well as public engagement initiatives across the department.