Rwandan medical geneticist, Dr. Leon Mutesa, was honoured on Thursday, April 12, in Rome, Italy, with the 2024 African Prize for Lifetime Contribution in Human Genetics by the HUGO-Human Genome Organisation, an organisation that serves as an international coordinating scientific body for initiatives like the Human Genome Project.

Dr. Mutesa, Rwanda’s pioneering medical geneticist, received the award in recognition of his ground-breaking research spanning over a decade, where he investigated Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among genocide survivors and its potential transmission to their offspring.

His work explored the epigenetics of PTSD among survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi, revealing new insights into the modifications that occur in their DNA and the transmission of such epigenetic marks to their descendants.

This research holds promise for enhancing medics’ understanding of the relationship between genetics and PTSD across diverse populations, particularly in regions afflicted by conflict.

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Speaking to The New Times, Mutesa said the award holds significance not only for himself but also for Rwanda and Africa’s advancement of science and medicine.

"This award is a good recognition of the work that has been done in Africa, especially in a country like Rwanda which went through the tragedy of the Genocide against the Tutsi 30 years ago. This is a good motivation to keep the momentum going forward. It also shows the international community that Rwanda has a lesson to teach them,” he said.

Beyond his contributions in such research, Dr. Mutesa has played a pivotal role in other fields of Rwanda's medical genetics landscape. For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, he collaborated with fellow researchers to develop an algorithm for pooled testing, optimising the use of limited testing resources.

Looking ahead, he noted that this is just the beginning for Africa and Rwanda’s contribution towards the global health sector.

"The award is an inspiration to Rwandan and African young scientists, that we can make it. I want African and Rwandan scientists, researchers, doctors and so on to do more work that transforms society,” he said.