Oral Pathology

University of the Witwatersrand, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a public research university established in 1922. Its Faculty of Health Sciences hosts a distinguished Oral Pathology unit that has played a foundational role in shaping the specialty in South Africa, integrating diagnostic service, academic training, and translational research within a major urban and HIV endemic context.

The publication record highlights strong expertise in oral and maxillofacial pathology, salivary gland tumors, fibro osseous lesions, and rare head and neck neoplasms. Advanced molecular techniques, including FISH and genomic sequencing, are applied to clarify tumor classification, identify oncogenic pathways such as JAK STAT signaling, and refine diagnostic accuracy in morphologically complex diseases.

A defining strength is leadership in research on HIV associated malignancies, particularly plasmablastic lymphoma, with contributions that reshape understanding of its molecular drivers and clinicopathologic spectrum. The work bridges epidemiology, molecular pathology, and clinical relevance, reinforcing the institution’s role in advancing precision diagnostics and context responsive cancer research in Africa.