Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
Contributions to pharmacogenomics, in understanding genetic factors affecting drug response in diverse populations
Ph.D., DPhil, Distinguished Research, African Inst. of Biomedical Science & Technology
Biography
Professor Collen Masimirembwa, a distinguished researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, is a pioneer and champion of pharmacogenomics research in Africa. Born in Zimbabwe, he studied at the University of Zimbabwe and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, where he focused on drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics. He worked at AstraZeneca in Sweden before founding the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology, in Zimbabwe. His achievements include establishing the African Pharmacogenomics Research Network under which he is conducting the first multinational study on the implementation of pharmacogenomics guided treatment in Africa. His work, which includes over 130 peer-reviewed papers, focuses on understanding the genomic diversity of African populations which is significantly impacting global health, particularly in enhancing drug efficacy and safety. His contributions have earned him the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation Calestous Juma Science Leadership and the African Academy of Sciences fellowships, along with several prestigious awards.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2025 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Kristine Ashcraft, YouScript
Program Theme: Addressing Persistent PGx Myths
- PMWC Award Ceremony:
Luminary Honoree: Philip E. Empey, UPMC
Pioneer Honoree: Collen Masimirembwa, University of the Witwatersrand
- Keynote: Genomic Diversity in Africa: Pharmacogenetics and Clinical Applications
- Collen Masimirembwa, University of the Witwatersrand
- PGx is Expensive and Insurance Coverage is Limited (PANEL)
Chair: Jai Patel, Atrium Health
- Lena Chaihorskym, Alva10
- Mark Fleury, ACS CAN
- Kristin Wiisanen, Rosalind Franklin University
- Alison L. Quinn, Kaiser - Science Backing PGx is Limited (PANEL)
Chair: Sara Rogers, American Society of Pharmacovigilance
- Russ Altman, Stanford
- Philip E. Empey, UPMC
- PGx is Hard to Implement (PANEL)
Chair: Kristine Crews, St Jude
- Suzanne Stevens, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
- Deepak Voora, VA
- Jason Roos, ARPA-H
- Jennifer Wick, The Christ Hospital Health Network
- What will It Take to Make PGx the Standard of Care? (PANEL)
Chair: Kristine Ashcraft, YouScript
- Alan Venook, UCSF/ NCCN
- Gary Marchant, ASU
- Dan Hertz, University of Michigan
- Deepak Voora, VA
