UP biochemist Prof Zodwa Dlamini and her research team are the recipients of a multimillion-rand grant to investigate global cancer disparities. “This award is not just a milestone, but a testament to our dedication and the urgency of our cause,” she says.

A global, interdisciplinary team of researchers, led by the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Professor Zodwa Dlamini, has been selected to receive a Cancer Grand Challenges award of up to $25 million (about R450 million) over five years to tackle the challenge of cancer inequities.

Cancer Grand Challenges is a global funding platform co-founded by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute in the US that supports a community of diverse global teams to come together, think differently and take on some of the toughest cancer-related challenges.

“I am excited and humbled by the opportunity to make a real difference in global cancer disparities with the research team,” Prof Dlamini said. “This award is not just a milestone, but a testament to our dedication and the urgency of our cause.”

Prof Dlamini is a prominent figure in the field of oncology. She is Director of the South African Medical Research Council’s Precision Oncology Research Unit; the founding Director of the Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI); and the Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention in UP’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

The SAMBAI project

The funded project is titled “Societal, Ancestry, Molecular and Biological Analyses of Inequalities” (SAMBAI), and the team consists of clinicians, advocates and scientists with expertise in computational biology, epidemiology, exposomics (the study of environmental exposures that an individual encounters, and how these impact biology and health), genomics and immunology, across 15 institutions and four countries.

It addresses the urgent need to understand and mitigate cancer disparities that affect black populations worldwide. By examining a range of factors, from societal influences to genetic predispositions, it intends to develop more effective, targeted cancer treatments and interventions, improving health outcomes and equity.

The project aims to create a comprehensive biobank and data repository to study cancer disparities, especially among populations of people with African descent. It will examine how societal, environmental, genetic and immunological factors contribute to cancer outcomes, focusing on prostate, breast and pancreatic cancers – which are more aggressive and have a higher incidence of early onset among black populations – spanning diverse cohorts of African descent from regions in Africa, the UK and the US. The project will be conducted across various locations, including UP, with collaborations in the US, Africa and the UK. It will run from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029.

Under the leadership of Prof Dlamini, UP researchers will contribute significantly to the SAMBAI project. They bring with them expertise in genomics, cancer disparities research, and methods to quantify environmental exposures and analyse epigenetic responses. UP will play a crucial role in developing the project’s biobank, conducting exposomic profiling, creating an exposome panel for partners across Africa and establishing a standard exposome reference database. Their contribution will help build research capacity in under-resourced settings, and ensure equitable access to data and treatments derived from the project's findings.

Impact of the project

The project will define interactions of environmental exposures, social determinants and genetic ancestry that determine immunological landscapes of primary tumours and/or circulating immunological profiles among patients of African descent.

Prof Dlamini is leading efforts to establish a comprehensive exposome reference for analysing cancer health disparities in Africa within the PACRI SAMBAI site. This initiative is aligned with PACRI's vision of advancing precision oncology and reducing health inequalities across the continent.

Under her guidance, the site has assembled a diverse team of experts, including oncologists, pathologists, surgeons, cancer biologists, chemists and legal professionals. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, PACRI aims to unlock new insights into cancer disparities and improve outcomes for underserved communities.

“Our participation in Team SAMBAI as the African site in implementing exposomics marks a significant step forward in cancer research and healthcare delivery in Africa,” Prof Zodwa said. “With a focus on inclusivity and innovation, the PACRI site is poised to make a lasting impact on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment across the continent.”

Inequities in cancer prevention, screening and treatment lead to disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, and are a major public health concern. Team SAMBAI aims to build an unprecedented resource, which will comprise a comprehensive measurement of social, environmental, genetic and biological factors that can be used to help define the causes of disparate outcomes in the selected populations.

“Together with our network of visionary partners and research leaders, Cancer Grand Challenges unites the world’s brightest minds across boundaries and disciplines, and aims to overcome cancer’s toughest problems,” said Dr David Scott, Director of Cancer Grand Challenges

“With this investment, our largest to date, we continue to grow our global research community and fund new teams that have the potential to surface discoveries that could have a positive impact on cancer outcomes.”