The scientists that discovered the genetic sequence of the Omicron variant were selected as Pioneers for the TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2022.
Stellenbosch, South Africa (24 May 2022) – Prof. Tulio de Oliveira, director of South Africa’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, has been named as one of TIME Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’ for his work with Dr Sikhulile Moyo, the laboratory director for the Botswana-Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory. Together, they sequenced the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, hailed both de Oliveira and Dr Moyo as symbols of excellence in science from the African continent in his article for TIME. The scientists are named in the ‘Pioneers’ section of the list.
While many people were frustrated when the rest of the world placed travel bans on the African continent for the identification of the new variant, the scientists performed their duties with integrity. They kept the world safer by sharing their findings.
The ability of African scientists to monitor and sequence pathogens is some of the best science in the world. This is due to the HIV epidemic and the rates of TB and other diseases like Malaria.
South Africa’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) is based at Stellenbosch University. The hope is that the research teams from all major universities around South Africa can develop an interlinked system that will create unrivalled data systems in Africa. Essentially, CERI tracks the genetics of any one disease, bacteria or virus and studies how it evolves. They have the ability to discover where is originates from as well.
“My research interests concentrate on viral evolution under selection pressure created in the transmission, acquisition, and drug escape processes. A particular point of interest is on the study of viruses’s origins and the effect of the network of transmissions in the spread of epidemics in Africa and other continents. I also enjoy developing bioinformatics software applications and running a next-generation sequencing (NGS) and innovation research centre.” – Tulio de Oliveira
Prof. Tulio de Oliveira joins the ranks of Oprah Winfrey, Volodymyr Zelensky, Rafael Nadal and Faith Ringold, to name a few!
Not the kind of thing that I would Tweet about.
But just listed by #TIME as one of the 100 most influential people. However, this was together with Dr. Sikhulile Moyo, a past Ph.D. student, who become a scientific leader, this I am really proud of! https://t.co/MhWZlfoJPM pic.twitter.com/4lUO4bWZ0X— Tulio de Oliveira (@Tuliodna) May 23, 2022
by 