Controlled Release Society College of Fellows elects Wits Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Wits University
Prof. Yahya Choonara recognised for outstanding contributions to science, tech of controlled release and drug delivery.
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Wits University and the Director of the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP), Yahya Choonara, is now amongst the fewer than 1% of Controlled Release Society (CRS) members who are elevated to Fellowship each year.
Fellowship is the society’s highest honour.
“This is an honour I receive with deep gratitude to the mentors, colleagues, students and collaborators who have shaped this journey,” says Choonara. “What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it energises me to do even more in driving Africa’s 21st Century therapeutics revolution led from South Africa.”
Choonara’s election underscores the growing role of African institutions and researchers in shaping next-generation drug-delivery technologies that improve patient access, adherence, and outcomes.
The CRS Fellowship adds to Choonara’s previous honours, which include election at the International Pharmaceutical Association, the African Academy of Sciences, and the National Science and Technology Forum – all appointments which strengthen South Africa’s profile in the pharmaceutical sciences.
He is also a Tier 1 South African National Research Foundation (NRF) SARChI Chair in Nanomedicine and Advanced Drug Delivery, author of more than 453 peer-reviewed publications, and he holds 51 patents in the field.
Choonara’s work bridges fundamental pharmaceutical science with translational healthcare solutions. This can be applied in infectious diseases, neurotherapeutics, cancer, wound healing and other illnesses requiring targeted drug and bioactive delivery.
“Controlled release science sits at the intersection of pharmaceutics, biology, and patient need. I share this honour with other CRS Fellows, my students, collaborators, supporters and the WADDP team whose creativity and persistence continue to drive real-world impact,” he says.
He has also mentored dozens of early-career researchers and postgraduates and built research infrastructure and international collaborations that advance patient-centred therapies.
“Professor Choonara’s election to the College of Fellows of the Controlled Release Society is a proud moment for Wits and a valuable recognition of the quality and global relevance of drug delivery research being led from South Africa,” says Professor Lynn Morris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at Wits University.
The CRS has members in 50+ countries, promoting research, education, and translation of delivery systems that improve human and animal health.