Rate My Professor Ambroise Wonkam

Professor Ambroise Wonkam is a professor of medical genetics, Director of GeneMAP (Genetic Medicine of African Populations), and immediate past Deputy Dean Research at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. After receiving his medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon, he completed a thesis in cell biology at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and a PhD in human genetics at the University of Cape Town. He received training as a medical geneticist in the genetics department at the University of Geneva and has practiced medical genetics in both European and African contexts. His research interests encompass molecular, clinical, educational, and ethical aspects of medical and human genetics, with a focus on the psychosocial burden and genomic modifiers of sickle cell disease, the genetics of hearing loss, and ethical and educational issues in human genetics in Africa. He has led or co-led major grants including NIH/NHGRI-funded projects on sickle cell disease, Wellcome Trust-DELTAS initiatives for capacity building in human genetics across Africa, and additional NIH funding for studies on hearing impairment genetics in Africa and incidental findings in genetic research. Professor Wonkam has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed publications. He has received the 2003 Denber-Pinard Prize from the University of Geneva, the 2014 Clinical Genetics Society International Award from the British Society of Genetic Medicine, the 2021 Alan Pifer Award from the University of Cape Town, and the Gold Scientific Achievement Award from the South African Medical Research Council. He serves as associate editor for the American Journal of Human Genetics, the American Journal of Medical Genetics, and the Journal of Community Genetics, as well as academic editor for PLOS One and member of the editorial board of Human Genetics. He is president of the African Society of Human Genetics, chair of the steering committee of the H3Africa consortium, a board member of the International Federation of Human Genetics Societies, and a member of the steering committee of the Global Genetic Medicine Collaborative.