CoE-HUMAN, Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study, and DOHAD Africa Partnership

In March, researchers from over 10 countries gathered under one roof at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study’s (STIAS) Summer School –under the theme “Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Consolidating Theory into Practice”–to young scientists how to locate their research interests and outputs into the world. The convening was a partnership between STIAS, the DSI-NRF CoEHUMAN and the DOHaD Africa Chapter.

The thin line between theory and practice has been contentious across many fields. Yet, across these disci- plines, scientists and practitioners often find themselves working toward the same goal – finding solutions to the myriad of society’s problem. From preventing diseases to correcting the history of science, the Summer School was designed to bridge this gap by capacitating young scientists. The curriculum was developed by experts from across the globe and covered a diverse range of topics including, amongst others, developmental origins of health and disease theory; DOHaD epidemiology, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes; improving maternal health during pregnancy, optimising adolescent health as well as public health policy and the SDGs.