The Ragon Institute’s long-standing international collaborations began with Dr. Bruce Walker’s visionary partnership with African scientists in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 1998, Dr. Walker, alongside local experts, recognized the critical need for in-country research capabilities to combat the dual crises of HIV and TB, which were wreaking havoc across the region. Initially, the aim was to conduct research on HIV-positive infants who were born with the virus and had rapid disease progression. However it quickly became apparent that training South African researchers and conducting studies in the region, rather than merely exporting samples back to the United States, would be far more beneficial to the region. 

This led to the establishment of the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute (DDMRI) at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine in 2003, the first dedicated medical research institute at an African university. This institute, built in partnership with local scientists and with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, symbolized a new chapter in Africa’s capacity to conduct high-level medical research. Dr. Walker and his colleagues at the Ragon Institute were instrumental in developing this research hub, which has since expanded into the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for TB and HIV (K-RITH) and, more recently, the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI). 

These partnerships and institutions have become vital centers of scientific discovery, addressing some of the most urgent health crises in the world. Alongside these efforts, the HIV Pathogenesis Programme (HPP) was established in 2002 as another key collaboration with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, with support from the Ragon Institute. Both AHRI and HPP serve as critical research platforms for HIV and TB, as well as training grounds for the next generation of African scientists. The Ragon Institute’s continued collaboration with these institutions highlights the power of international partnerships in addressing global health challenges.