Aspro Alisha Wade

Alisha Wade is a researcher in cardiovascular and metabolic epidemiology with strong involvement in the Africa Wits-INDEPTH Partnership for Genomic Studies and the HAALSI cohort in South Africa. Her work centers on chronic non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, integrating population-based cohorts, policy evaluation, and genomic approaches to address hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and peripheral artery disease.

Her publications highlight major contributions to understanding cardiometabolic risk across diverse African settings. She has examined sodium reduction legislation and its impact on blood pressure, characterized obesity phenotypes and dyslipidaemia, and identified risk factors for incident type 2 diabetes. Through large collaborative studies, she has helped clarify how social, behavioral, and clinical determinants interact in rapidly transitioning populations.

A key strength of her research lies in advancing genomic discovery in under-represented African populations. Genome-wide association studies within AWI-Gen have identified novel variants linked to glycaemic traits and demonstrated population-specific genetic architectures. Complementary qualitative and translational work further reflects a commitment to contextually grounded, policy-relevant science aimed at reducing the burden of chronic disease in Africa.