cape town

Makgoba: survived controversy at the Witwatersrand to lead the MRC.

Malegapuru William Makgoba, 45, a research professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, has been appointed president of South Africa's Medical Research Council (MRC) for a five-year term from next year. He replaces retiring incumbent Wally Prozesky.

Makgoba was at the centre of a fierce controversy in 1995 after allegations of incompetence, falsifying his curriculum vitae and disloyalty to his institute were made against him by 13 of the Witwatersrand's senior academics (see Nature 378, 324; 1995).

The former immunologist at the Royal Hammersmith Postgraduate Medical School in London became deputy vice-chancellor of the Witwatersrand in 1994, and was tipped to become vice-chancellor. But following the controversy he was transferred to a research chair in molecular immunology in 1996 for the remainder of his five-year contract with the university.

Makgoba's appointment at the MRC was unusual since he was chair of the MRC board. He resigned from this post after applying to be MRC president. The selection process was conducted by the deputy chair of the MRC board, Marian Jacobs, who succeeds Makgoba as chair.

Jacobs, who is head of the Child Health Unit at the University of Cape Town, said that Makgoba had been chosen unanimously by the board after in-depth interviews and public lectures by three candidates.

Makgoba says his priorities as the MRC's president will be improving social cohesion, building capacity and promoting interdisciplinary research.