Collen Masimirembwa

Collen Masimirembwa
Born	1967 (age 56–57)
Nationality	Zimbabwean
Citizenship	Zimbabwe
Occupation(s)	President and chief scientific officer of the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology
Known for	Pharmacogenetics, pharmacology, and drug discovery
Awards	Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences, HUGO Africa Award

Collen Masimirembwa (born 1967) is a biomedical pharmacologist from Zimbabwe. He is a Distinguished Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Witswatersrand, and serves as the president and chief scientific officer at the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST). His research in Africa has contributed to the field of pharmacogenetics, particularly in understanding the genetic diversity and drug response of African populations. In 2018, he was awarded the HUGO Africa Award. He is a fellow of the Calestous Juma Leadership Fellowship, African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences (ZAS).

He has authored over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters and has guided numerous postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Early life and education

Masimirembwa was born in 1967 in Zimbabwe and received his BSc (Hons) and DPhil degrees in biochemistry from the University of Zimbabwe in 1993. Fascinated by the then-emerging field of pharmacogenetics, he conducted studies at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden in 1995, where he earned his PhD in Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics. His doctoral research was centered on the molecular mechanisms of drug metabolism and toxicity.

Career and research

After obtaining his PhD, Masimirembwa returned to the University of Zimbabwe and served as a senior lecturer and head of the Department of Biochemistry from 1992 to 1997. He later joined AstraZeneca R&D in Sweden as a principal scientist and project leader, focusing on drug discovery and development in various areas such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and infectious diseases. He played a key role in establishing the AstraZeneca Africa Pharmacogenetics Research Network, which aimed to study the genetic diversity and drug response of African populations.

Later in 2008, Masimirembwa founded and assumed the position of president and chief scientific officer at the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST), a non-profit research institute in Zimbabwe that focuses on biomedical science and technology, with an emphasis on pharmacogenetics and clinical pharmacology.

At the institute, he manages collaborations with various academic, industry, and government partners. He also leads the African Pharmacogenomics Consortium (APC), a network that aims to advance pharmacogenomics research and applications in Africa. He is also a distinguished professor of health sciences research at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa).

Masimirembwa is a fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences (ZAS) and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) among many other honors. In November 2021, Masimirembwa was selected as a Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellow by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop a research and innovation ecosystem, train scientists, and create centres of excellence in genomic medicine research to enhance Africa’s sustainable development in genomic and pharmaceutical capabilities.

Selected publications

• C, Masimirembwa; L, Bertilsson; I, Johansson; JA, Hasler; M, Ingelman-Sundberg (1995). "Phenotyping and genotyping of S-mephenytoin hydroxylase (cytochrome P450 2C19) in a Shona population of Zimbabwe". Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 57 (6). Clin Pharmacol Ther: 656–661. doi:10.1016/0009-9236(95)90228-7. ISSN 0009-9236. PMID 7781265. S2CID 41461750. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
• C, Masimirembwa; I, Persson; L, Bertilsson; J, Hasler; M, Ingelman-Sundberg (1996). "A novel mutant variant of the CYP2D6 gene (CYP2D6*17) common in a black African population: association with diminished debrisoquine hydroxylase activity". British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 42 (6). Br J Clin Pharmacol: 713–719. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1996.00489.x. ISSN 0306-5251. PMC 2042718. PMID 8971426.
• CM, Masimirembwa; JA, Hasler (1997). "Genetic polymorphism of drug metabolising enzymes in African populations: implications for the use of neuroleptics and antidepressants". Brain Research Bulletin. 44 (5). Brain Res Bull: 561–571. doi:10.1016/s0361-9230(97)00307-9. ISSN 0361-9230. PMID 9365799. S2CID 24356968. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
• Li, Xue-Qing; Björkman, Anders; Andersson, Tommy B.; Ridderström, Marianne; Masimirembwa, Collen M. (1 February 2002). "Amodiaquine Clearance and Its Metabolism toN-Desethylamodiaquine Is Mediated by CYP2C8: A New High Affinity and Turnover Enzyme-Specific Probe Substrate". Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 300 (2). American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics: 399–407. doi:10.1124/jpet.300.2.399. ISSN 0022-3565. PMID 11805197. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
• Li, Xue-Qing; Björkman, Anders; Andersson, Tommy B.; Gustafsson, Lars L.; Masimirembwa, Collen M. (1 September 2003). "Identification of human cytochrome P 450 s that metabolise anti-parasitic drugs and predictions of in vivo drug hepatic clearance from in vitro data". European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 59 (5–6): 429–442. doi:10.1007/s00228-003-0636-9. ISSN 0031-6970. PMID 12920490. S2CID 23753466.

Awards

Collen Masimirembwa was named a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences in 2017 and the African Academy of Sciences in 2018. In 2018, he was awarded the HUGO Africa Award. The Grand Challenges Africa Award was presented to him in 2016. He was the recipient of the EDCTP Senior Fellowship Award in 2014 and the Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship Award in 2012. AstraZeneca R&D acknowledged his work with the Global Scientific Award in 2006 and the Global Innovation Award in 2005. Additionally, he received the Calestous Juma Leadership Fellowship in 2021 and the PMCW 2025 Pioneer Award.