Welcome to the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

EB Group

 

 

The Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Cape Town is a hub for education and research in quantitative health sciences. It offers a wide range of foundational and advanced courses aimed at equipping students with the skills needed to understand, apply, and innovate within public health and clinical research.

The Division’s curriculum covers core and specialised topics, including Introduction to Epidemiology, Quantitative Research Methods, Advanced Epidemiology, Evidence-Based Health Care, and Clinical Epidemiology. Students can also delve into more specific areas like Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, addressing diverse public health challenges across the region.

The division not only supports learners in mastering research methods but also actively engages in research that contributes to evidence-based policy and practice, aiming to improve health outcomes at local, regional, and global levels.
 

The Division assists with undergraduate epidemiology and biostatistics teaching in the MBChB curriculum (including during Semesters 3-5, and as part of the 4th year Public Health teaching programme) and as part of research methods teaching for allied health sciences students.

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The Division provides epidemiology and biostatistics teaching at both introductory and advanced levels. Most of the Division's teaching is through the Master of Public Health (MPH) programme, where the Division convenes the Epidemiology and Biostatistics track.

Courses taught by the Division include:

  • Introduction to Epidemiology
  • Advanced Epidemiology
  • Clinical Epidemiology
  • Seminars in Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases Epidemiology (taught in conjunction with the Division of Public Health Medicine)
  • Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology (taught in conjunction with the Division of Public Health Medicine)
  • Evidence-Based Health Care (taught in conjunction with the Department of Medicine)
  • Biostatistics I (Introduction to Biostatistics)
  • Biostatistics II (Linear & Logistic Regression Modelling)
  • Biostatistics III (Survival analyses and advanced topics) (taught in conjunction with the Department of Statistical Sciences)
     

Additional teaching takes place on a range of short-courses and special seminars throughout the Faculty. This additional teaching typically focuses on either general research methods (study design, measurement, causal inference, etc) and/or specific advanced topics. Recent topics for short-courses and seminars include:

  • mathematical modelling of infectious diseases
  • structural equation modelling
  • missing data and imputation
  • modelling for causal inference
     

In addition, the Division offers PhDs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. While the PhD programme is by dissertation-only, most of our PhD students enter through the MPH, and/or participate in short-courses and seminars programme.

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The Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics offers an epidemiology and biostatistics consulting service within the Faculty of Health Sciences. The consulting unit provides services which include the following activities:

  • Advice regarding research design, sample size, questionnaire development and data collection methodologies
  • Guidance for data capturing and data management/cleaning
  • Analysis and reporting of data and assistance with data interpretation
  • Short training courses on request


Clientele include:

  • Postgraduate student research projects (including Honours, research Masters, PhD)
    Postdoctoral researchers
  • Research / academic staff
  • For coursework masters students, assistance is provided only for dissertations and not for coursework assignments

 

Please note:

  • A brief scoping consultation is provided at no cost prior to formally requesting consulting services.
  • The unit operates on a cost-recovery basis, with all chargeable work billed at an hourly rate (currently R500/hour), payable via internal fund transfer. Full payment must be received before work begins. Please note that we do not bill students directly; if statistical support is required for student projects, supervisors or respective departments are responsible for the funding and should initiate contact with the unit.
  • It is strongly recommended that clients contact the consulting unit prior to the onset of their project.
  • Supervisors wishing to access services for student postgraduate projects are required to make initial request to the consulting unit.
  • The service is provided subject to the availability of consultants. The consulting unit reserves the right to terminate or refuse service.

To request consulting services, please contact the unit via email: epibios.consult@uct.ac.za

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Research interests and activities in the Division include:

  • Methods for modelling longitudinal data
  • Infectious diseases epidemiology, including HIV, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections
  • Maternal and child health
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Women's reproductive health, including contraception and termination of pregnancy
     

Researchers in the Division collaborate with investigators in other parts of the School of Public Health (including CIDER) and the Faculty (including the Departments of Paediatrics and Child Health, Clinical and Laboratory Sciences, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Medicine).  Below are some of the projects were are involved in:

Current Projects

Obesogenic Origins of Maternal and Child Metabolic Health Involving Dolutegravir (ORCHID)
 

 

Project leaders:
Landon Myer (Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Cape Town)

Elaine Abrams (Paediatrics & Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP Columbia University)

Jennifer Jao (Paediatrics & Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, North-western University /Lurie Children’s Hospital)

 

Collaborating Universities: Columbia and North-western Universities

Funder: NIH

Purpose of project

The central objective of this project is to investigate the impact of DTG in pregnancy and its obesogenic effects on the metabolic health of women living with HIV (WLHIV) and their children, compared to women without HIV and their children. We will enrol 1900 pregnant women in the 1st trimester (633 WLHIV initiating DTG [iDTG] in pregnancy, 633 WLHIV continuing DTG [cDTG] use from pre-pregnancy, and 634 women without HIV) and their children, following them to two years. As part of this, mother-infant pairs will be required to attend up to 10 study visits separate from routine clinic visits, these visits include 3 antenatal visits (£14, 24-28 and 32-36 weeks) and 7 postnatal visits (<2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months). Additional data on maternal health in pregnancy and birth outcomes will be abstracted from medical records.

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Evaluation of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Initiation, Retention and Adherence in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women (PrEP-PP)

Project leaders: Landon Myer, Dvora Joseph Davey

Collaborating University: University of California Los Angeles             

Funder: NIMH (R01MH116771) and Fogarty International Center (K01TW011187) 
Clinical trials identifier: NCT03826199


Purpose of project

Pregnant women at very high risk of HIV acquisition and HIV transmission to the infant. PrEP-PP (PrEP in Pregnant and Postpartum women) is an observational study that will determine the distribution of women across the PrEP cascade (i.e. PrEP initiation, continuation and adherence on PrEP) in a cohort of 1200 HIV-negative pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls (16+ years) and women. We are recruiting eligible, interested HIV-uninfected pregnant women from one public health facilities in Cape Town (Gugulethu). Women are recruited at their first antenatal visit and followed until 12 months postpartum. Our study will inform national and regional policymakers about the effectiveness of PrEP integration into antenatal (ANC) and postnatal care in high HIV incidence communities.

Study counsellors enrol consecutive eligible, consenting pregnant adolescent girls (>16 years) and women in ANC (1200 pregnant women). The study offers HIV-uninfected pregnant women the choice to take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an antiretroviral pill, to take daily to prevent HIV up to 99% in women who take it daily. We follow up women every 3 months until their baby is 12 months old. We launched the study in August 2019 and are continuing to follow up 1200 women in a cohort study through 2022.


Past Projects

CareConekta

 

 

 

Project leaders: Tamsin Phillips (UCT), Kate Clouse (Vanderbilt University)

 

Collaborating university: Vanderbilt University

 

Funding statement: This study was funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) under grant R34 MH118028. Formative work that led to the development of this study was funded by NIH under grant P30 AI110527 to the TN CFAR.

 

Purpose of project

Population mobility is common in South Africa, but important research gaps exist describing this mobility and its impact on engagement in HIV care. Postpartum women and their infants in South Africa are known to be at high risk of dropping out of HIV care after delivery and are frequently mobile. In previous work, we developed a beta version of a smartphone application (app) – CareConekta – that detects a user’s smartphone location to allow for prospective characterization of mobility. In this R34 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03836625) we are adapting and testing CareConekta to conduct essential formative work on mobility and evaluate an intervention – the CareConekta app plus text notifications and phone calls and/or WhatsApp messages – to facilitate engagement in HIV care during times of mobility. During the three-year project period, our first objective is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of using CareConekta as an intervention to improve engagement in HIV care. Our second objective is to characterize mobility among South African women during the peripartum period and its impact on engagement in HIV care. We will enroll 200 eligible pregnant women living with HIV and receiving care at the Gugulethu Midwife Obstetric Unit in Cape Town, South Africa.

 


Left to right: Kate Clouse, Sindiswa Madwayi, Megan Mrubata, Sandisiwe Noholoza, Tammy Phillips

 

Routine Electronic Mother-Infant Data (Remind) to Support Retention in Postpartum HIV Treatment and Early Infant Diagnosis Services in South Africa

 

 

Project leader: Tamsin Phillips

 

Funding statement: Funding for this project was made possible in full by a CIPHER grant from the International AIDS Society.

 

Purpose of project

 

Maternal loss from antiretroviral therapy (ART) and incomplete early infant diagnosis (EID) are common in high HIV-burden settings. The proposed study, centred at a large primary care clinic in Gugulethu, Cape Town, will leverage existing central routine electronic data sources to identify MIPs with key gaps in PMTCT and facilitate linkage back to care. A prospective cohort of 400 peripartum women living with HIV and age 18 or older will be recruited. Them and their babies will be monitored in the routine medical record data through 9 months postpartum to identify gaps in routine PMTCT care.

 

The specific aims are:

 
  1. Use a prospective cohort to validate gaps identified by the routine data in i) EID, ii) maternal linkage to postpartum HIV care and regular viral load testing, and iii) linkage of infants diagnosed with HIV to treatment
  2. Implement tracing MIPs with gaps in care and examine potential impact of this approach
  3. Use the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to explore factors influencing the implementation of the use of routine electronic data to identify gaps in care and the success of MIP tracing.

 

Improving Chronic Disease Monitoring in Resource Limited Settings: Simulation and Economic Evaluation Approaches

Project leaders:
Maia Lesosky, Elton Mukonda

Funder: NRF (Thuthuka)

Description of main aims/site/purpose of project

This study focuses on the use of simulation models and economic evaluations for the assessment and comparison of a wide range of potential strategies for the management of chronic diseases which may not be feasible to investigate using traditional epidemiological studies due to cost, duration and ethical constraints. Specifically, the study focuses on how chronic disease monitoring can be considered as a complex intervention which can lead to a reduction in costs and an improvement in health outcomes if done effectively. This is a multi-component study that will include a number of approaches including literature reviews, simulation modelling, analytic studies and a formal economic evaluation.

Exploring the Burden and Impact of Cardio-Metabolic Complications During Pregnancy in the Context of High Obesity and HIV Burden in South Africa (CAMP)

Project leaders:
Landon Myer (UCT SPH)

 

Angela Bengtson (Brown University)

 

Hlengiwe Madlala (UCT SPH)


Collaborating university: Brown University

Funders: NIH, CFAR

Purpose of project

The central objective of this project is to generate preliminary evidence on the burden and impact of NCDs and HIV in pregnancy and postpartum in LMICs. In a cohort of 400 HIV-uninfected (n=200) and HIV-infected/on ART (n=200) pregnant women in Cape Town, South Africa, we will enrol mother-infant pairs between 24-28 weeks’ pregnancy and follow them through 6 months postpartum. Information on pregnancy outcomes will be collected via medical records. 

 

 

The Relationship Between Postpartum Weight Retention and Metabolic Outcomes in HIV-infected and -uninfected Women in Cape Town, South Africa: (P-CAMP)

Project leaders:
Hlengiwe Madlala (UCT SPH)

 

Landon Myer (UCT SPH)

 

Angela Bengtson (Brown University)


Collaborating university: Brown University

Funders: NRF Thuthuka, CFAR, Harry Crossley Clinical Research Fellowship

Purpose of project)

The objective of this proposal is to examine the impact of the double-burden of obesity and HIV on metabolic outcomes of women during the postpartum period. As part of this we will investigate body composition, energy expenditure, mitochondrial function, inflammation and oxidative stress as potential mechanistic pathways between HIV and obesity and metabolic function. This is a cross-sectional study for 6-12month postpartum HIV-infected and -uninfected women enrolled into ‘CAMP study’ at a large maternity obstetric clinic in Cape Town, South Africa (n=100 total; 25 HIV-infected women with low postpartum weight retention, 25 HIV-infected women with high postpartum weight retention, and a comparator of 50 HIV-uninfected women).

Inflammation and Immune Activation in Pregnancy: Fetal Inflammation and Maternal Obesity (iMAP)

Project leaders:

 

Hlengiwe Madlala (UCT SPH)

 

Landon Myer (UCT SPH)

 

Jennifer Jao (Northwestern University/Lurie Children’s Hospital)

 

Marie-Louise Newell (Southampton University),

 

Thoko Malaba (UCT SPH)

Collaborating universities: North-Western and Southampton Universities

Funder: NIH Fogarty International Centre

Purpose of project

Postpartum weight retention (PPWR) contributes to a range of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in mid-life. The aim of this proposal is to examine the association between inflammatory, immune activation markers and PPWR; and correlation of these maternal markers with their levels in the fetal compartment (cord blood). This is a retrospective cohort study that will utilise repository plasma specimens of women living with HIV from the PIMS cohort which was assembled and followed up from 2015 to 2018. Markers of inflammation and immune activation during the 3 trimesters of pregnancy will be quantified. A total of 100 specimens will be randomly selected within strata of body mass index (BMI) at T1 (< versus ≥ 30 kg/m2), as T1 BMI is a strong predictor of PPWR.

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The Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics is offering a variety of R training courses for 2024, and annually thereafter. Each workshop will be approximately 2-3 hours long. The workshops are numbered according to (roughly) the order they should be taken in. Registration and venue details to follow.


Fees:
For currently registered staff or students in the School of Public Health there is no fee. For all other participants, there is a R500/course fee payable through internal journal transfer only. You must be a member of UCT (ie have a valid UCT email address) in order to participate. A signed journal or proof of transfer will be required before access is granted.


How to register:
Follow the link for the course you want to register for. It is a small form that collects email addresses. Please use your UCT email address.

Request the internal journal transfer to 232826, PPH1228. Please send proof of payment to: epiadmin@uct.ac.za

You will receive a link to the online meeting venue, plus other information a few days before the scheduled workshop once registered and proof of payment submitted via your UCT email.


Course content:
These courses are mainly aimed at current MPH and PhD students in the School of Public Health, and so are oriented towards serving those groups as they complete their coursework and dissertation. Instructors and content will vary by course. These courses will be offered annually.
If you would like to discuss a bespoke course please email epibios.consult@uct.ac.za


Contact:
For admin matters please contact the admin team at epiadmin@uct.ac.za

For other matters relating to the Division, please contact Head of Division Landon.Myer@uct.ac.za

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Landon Myer, Professor and Head of Division
 

 
Landon Myer
       

Qualifications: BA Brown MA MBChB Cape Town MPhil PhD Columbia
 

Areas of interest: Epidemiology, HIV, Non-Communicable Diseases, Women, Reproductive Health, Maternal & Child Health
 

Publications
 

Emaillandon.myer@uct.ac.za
 

Phone:  021 406 6661


 

Lara Dugas, Professor and AXA Research Chair in Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Epidemiology (2021-2026)
 

Lara Dugas


Qualifications: PhD, MPH, FTOS
 

Areas of interest: Non-communicable diseases, gut microbiota
 

ORCHID

Research Gate

Google Scholar


Linkedin

 

EmailLara.Dugas@uct.ac.za

 

 

Alex de Voux, Senior Lecturer
 

Alex de Voux


Qualifications: PhD, MSc
 

Areas of interest: curable sexually transmitted infections, point-of-care STI testing
 

Publications
 

LinkedIn
 

Email:  alex.devoux@uct.ac.za
 

Tamsin Phillips, Senior Lecturer/Research Officer
 

Tammy Phillips


Qualifications: MPH, PhD
 

Areas of interest: HIV, continuity of care, patient choice
 

Google scholar

ORCHID


Emailtammy.phillips@uct.ac.za

 

Hayli Geffen, Lecturer

Hayli Geffen


Qualifications: MSc, Biostatistics Specialisation
 

Areas of interest: Longitudinal data analysis, Survival analysis, Supervised Learning
 

LinkedIn

Luke Hanan, Lecturer

Luke Hanan


Qualifications: Bsc, BSc (Hons), MPH


Areas of interest: Computational and statistical methods for the analysis of recurrent events and high-dimensional longitudinal compositional data, reproducible research and analysis of clinical trials


Link

Hlengiwe Madlala, Lecturer/Research Officer
 

Hlengi Madlala


Qualifications: PhD, MPH, MBA
 

Areas of interest: Obesity and metabolic outcomes of pregnant and postpartum women and their children
 

Publications
 

Email:  Hlengiwe.madlala@uct.ac.za

 

Elton Mukonda, Lecturer/Research Officer
 

Elton Mukonda


Qualification: MPhil
 

Areas of interest: Improving chronic disease monitoring in resource limited settings: simulation and economic evaluation approaches.
 

LinkedIn
 

Email:  elton.mukonda@uct.ac.za

 

Thokozile Malaba, Lecturer/Research Officer
 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Qualifications: MPH, PhD
 

Areas of interest: Perinatal epidemiology, research methodology, observational research, maternal and child health
 

Publications
 

Email:  Thoko.Malaba@uct.ac.za

 

Frissiano Honwana, Assistant Lecturer
 

Frissiano Honwana


Qualifications: BSc, BSHST, MSc; PhD candidate
 

Areas of interest: Prognosis, Prediction Models, Biomarkers, Biostatistics
 

Publications


LinkedIn


Email:  Frissiano.Honwana@uct.ac.za

 

Jasantha Odayar, Clinical Research Officer
 

Jasantha Odayar

 

Qualifications: MBChB, DipHIVMan, DTM&H, MPH


Areas of interest: Access to care, patient transfer
 

Publications
 

Email:  Jasantha.Odayar@uct.ac.za
 

Honorary Professors:

Debbie Bradshaw
Sinead Delaney-Moretlwe
Nathan Ford
James McIntyre
Steven Reynolds
Charles Wiysonge

Honorary Associate Professors:

Molebogeng Rangaka
Tamara Kredo

Honorary Senior Lecturers:

Annibale Cois
Dvora Joseph Davey
Nathan Geffen
Ameer Hohlfield
Amy Huber
Mhairi Maskew
Aurelie Nelson
Dorina Onoya
Jennifer Pellowski
Melissa Wallace

Honorary Research Associate:

Jabulani Ncayiyana

PhD Candidates:

Eke Arua

Eke Arua


Qualifications: BA, MA, MPH
 

Areas of interest: Geospatial methods and disease mapping
 

LinkedIn

Yolanda Gomba

 

Yolanda Gomba

Qualifications: MPH: Social and Behavioural Sciences, PhD candidate
 

Areas of interest: Implementation evaluations of HIV interventions

Phepo Mogoba

Phepo Mogoba


Qualifications: BSc Hons; MPH
 

Areas of interest: HIV, Adolescent maternal and child health, Implementation science
 

Publications

Mothabisi Nyathi

Mothabisi Nyathi


Qualifications: MPhil; BSc Hons
 

Areas of interest: child and adolescent health in the context of HIV and TB, Human migration, and longitudinal data analysis

 

Administrative Staff:

VACANT, Administrative Assistant
 

 

 

Research Staff:

Chad Africa, Project Co-ordinator

Chad Africa

Qualifications: BSc Hons, MPH
 

Research Interests: Non-communicable diseases, physical activity, type two diabetes mellitus, obesity, gut microbiome
 

Kalisha Bheemraj, Data Analyst

Kalisha


Qualifications: BSc Medical Science, BSc Honours Neuroanatomy, MSc Anatomy, MPH Epidemiology and Biostatistics
 

Research interests: Health care analytics, HIV prevention and care
 

LinkedIn

Naomi Ndakapara Chitsa, Research Assistant

Naomi Chitsa

Qualifications: BSocSc, BA Hons, Project Management Cert, P. Dip, MPH 


Research interest: Maternal and Child Health
 

LinkedIn
 

Sumaya Dadan, Study Coordinator
 

Jess Davies, Research Assistant

Jess Davies


Qualifications: BA HMS, BHSc (Hons), MPH


Research interests: Maternal and child health, NCDs, physical activity


LinkedIn
 

Nai-Chung Hu, Laboratory Manager

Jack Hu


Qualifications: MSc (Med Virology), MPH


Areas of Interest: Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Clinical Research
 

Dineo Mathabela, Laboratory Technician

Dineo M


Areas of interest: Public Health and infectious Diseases 
 

LinkedIn 
 

Natasha Moodaley, Project Manager

Natasha M


Qualifications: BSocSc, BEd (Hons), MPhil
 

Megan Mrubata, Site Coordinator

Megan Mrubata

 

Ncumisa Msolo, Study Coordinator

 

Rufaro Mvududu, Study Coordinator

Rufaro M


Qualifications: BSc, BMedSc (Hons); MPH


Areas of interest: HIV prevention and sexual reproductive health
 

Sandisiwe Matyesini, Study Coordinator

Sandisiwe


Qualification: MSc
 

Areas of interest: Public Health, Social Justice, Clinical Research, Wellness


LinkedIn
 

Mustafa Shuaib, Data Analyst
 

Qualifications: BDS, MPH
 

Areas of interest: Quantitative Epidemiology - Chronic Diseases
 

Lee-Ann Stemmet, Data Analyst

Lee-Ann Stemmet

Qualifications: BA Hons UNISA
 

Helene Theunissen, Data Analyst

Helene T


Qualifications: MPH; BSc (Med)(Hons); BSc


Areas of interest: First-thousand-days, nutritional interventions, non-communicable diseases, Maternal-and-Child Health
 

LinkedIn

Nuraan Norodien, Research Administrator

Nuraan


Qualification: ND: Human Resource Management
 

LinkedIn

 

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