“Trailblazers with Garry" is a series from Global Health Matters, where host Garry Aslanyan sits down with trailblazers — thinkers, leaders and influencers shaping the future of global health — for short face-to-face conversations, available in both audio and video formats. It’s a chance to get to know the people behind the work and hear their perspectives on the current global health landscape.

For this Trailblazer episode, Garry met up with Ntobeko Ntusi in Cape Town, South Africa. Ntobeko has been president and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council since 2024 after serving as Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town. He is deeply passionate about seeing South Africa and the African continent more broadly emerge as a leader in research and innovation. In this conversation, they explore the mentors who have shaped his journey, his vision for the role of science in strengthening African health systems, and how global health can recalibrate power symmetries to advance greater equity.

Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.

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Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Global Health Matters podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of TDR or the World Health Organization.

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Hi there, it's Garry. Let me let you on a bit of a secret. We're offering something new at the Global Health Matters and it's called the Insight Track. And Insight track is about context, clarity, and foresight from people who actually know the terrain. So in each episode, I'm joined by two brilliant recurrent voices. Voices you heard here on Global Health matters, Catherine Kyobutungi who brings the evidence and real-world insight from the front lines of health resear

Trailblazers with Garry: a conversation with Ntobeko Ntusi