Second South African doctor awarded Discovery Foundation grant for further study at Massachusetts General Hospital

The Discovery Foundation announced the second recipient of the Discovery Foundation MGH Fellowship Award on Wednesday, 27 May 2015. This grant of R2.1 million is awarded to top South African academic doctors to do clinical research and study at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, USA.

The Discovery Foundation MGH Fellowship Award, this year, went to Dr Shrish Budree, a paediatric gastroenterologist at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Research Fellow, University of Cape Town. Dr Budree stood out as his research is asking pertinent scientific questions about the influence of the microbiome or bacteria in the human gut on the immune system and health.

Receiving the Discovery Foundation MGH Fellowship Award will give him the opportunity to exchange knowledge with global experts and thought leaders in his field. Dr Vincent Maphai, Chairperson of the Discovery Foundation, explains why the Discovery Foundation makes this investment in Academic Medicine; “One of the greatest healthcare challenges our country faces is a severe shortage of suitably skilled specialists. A critical way to address this need is through the development of specialists in Academic Medicine who can lead the next generation of doctors. It’s only by having thought leaders and experts to teach our future healthcare specialists that South Africa can continue its proud legacy of innovation and pioneering excellence in healthcare.”

Dr Budree will commence his research at MGH from June this year. During his 12 months in the USA, Dr Budree will, under the guidance of top specialists in the field of gastroenterology, investigate new techniques for sample collection; how to extract DNA; and to analyse data collected from samples among other things. The aim is to develop novel ways to re-establish the community of normal bacteria in the gut to either prevent or treat disease.

Dr Budree called it his “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and said “it is my hope to become a top clinician scientist in South Africa. I will use my knowledge and bring back the expertise to South Africa to build capacity in this field of research.”

About the Discovery Foundation

Discovery is committed to supporting government in addressing the critical shortage of medical graduates and specialist skills. By doing so, the aim is to strengthen the South African healthcare system and to make quality healthcare more accessible to more South Africans. In line with this commitment, the Discovery Foundation, through the Discovery Foundation Awards, is investing over R150 million in the education and training of 300 medical specialists over a period of 10 years.

ENDS