Izelle Smuts

Professor, University of Pretoria

Prof. Izelle Smuts is a registered paediatric neurologist and HOD in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, and the University of Pretoria. The Paediatric Neurology Unit manages the entire spectrum of paediatric neurology and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders, and other neurogenetic disorders. The Unit is also involved in pre- and postgraduate training of medical students in Paediatrics and paediatric neurologists.

Prof. Smuts' Unit is a key participant in the International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Diseases (ICGNMD research programme). This involvement is particularly significant considering that her PhD was about the clinical and biochemical approach to mitochondrial disorders in the South African context. It underscores the Unit's dedication to advancing our understanding of not only mitochondrial conditions, but also related conditions treated in the clinic, thereby keeping the audience abreast of the latest research in the field.