Professor Oppel BW Greeff wins prestigious Havengaprize
The Council of the South Africa Academy for Art and Science announced on 15 April 2021 the winners of The Havengaprize. The Havengaprize is a prize that is awarded annually since 1945 to a candidate for original research in the field of natural science and or technical areas. The prize is named after former minister Klasie Havenga whom in 1945 declared his commitment to donate £50 a year towards the Academy (equivalent to £2,172.22 / ZAR43,035.10 today).
Prof. Oppel Greeff, has a Bachelor degree in Medicine and Surgery with various additional degrees obtained thereafter which includes Primary Healthcare, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Medicine and a doctors degree in Psychiatry. In 1978 Oppel was appointed as Medical Advisor to Wellcome South Africa, a pharmaceutical company then the role of Medical Director at Roussel Laboratories from 1981 until 1990. During this period Oppel was appointed as Head of Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the Pharmacy School in the University of Pretoria and later as Extraordinary Professor.
Prof. Oppel BW Greeff
In 1990 he founded Clindepharm International, the first contract research organisation in South Africa which he sold in 1997 to Quintiles Transnational Corporation, where he was employed full time until 2008. In 2002 he was appointed as CEO Early Development and Laboratory Services, President Global Product Development in addition President Africa-India & Latin America Regions for Quintiles Transnational. From 2007 to 2013 he served as the Chairperson of the board of directors for Cenduit, an interactive response technology establishment in United States of America. In 2008 Oppel was appointed as Professor and Head of the Pharmacology Department, School of Medicine at the faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria.
Oppel is a world-renowned expert in the field of health research and currently still serves on various directorships of healthcare companies in South Africa, India as well as the USA. On 15 April 2021, it was announced that Oppel received the Havengaprize award in recognition of his contribution towards research in the field of natural science.