Prof Viljoen celebrates 100 postgraduate graduates and outstanding research achievements

Graduating 100 postgraduate students is more than an academic milestone; it represents 100 research journeys shaped, knowledge shared, and future scientists equipped to contribute to society. For Prof Alvaro Viljoen, this achievement reflects a career dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical sciences, strengthening research capacity and unlocking the scientific potential of South Africa’s medicinal plants.

Prof Alvaro Viljoen Prof Viljoen, an NRF B2-rated researcher in the Faculty of Science, recently reached this milestone while earning the Best Publication Award in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences of South Africa (APSSA). His achievements were celebrated at the Tshwane University of Technology’s 2025/2026 Academic Excellence Awards, where he received the Service Beyond the Call of Duty and Special Recognition Awards.

In addition to being the highest-rated researcher at TUT, he holds the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation-National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Phytomedicine and serves as Unit Director of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Herbal Drugs Research Unit, based in TUT's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

His research focuses on the chemistry, quality, safety and therapeutic potential of South African medicinal plants, combining indigenous knowledge with rigorous scientific investigation. His research team uses advanced scientific techniques to examine the chemical composition and biological activity of medicinal plants, assess herbal products and investigate potential safety concerns, including toxicity and interactions with conventional medicines.

An important contribution to this field has been the publication of the first South African Herbal Pharmacopoeia, providing a scientific reference for the identification, quality assessment and standardisation of medicinal plant materials.

Prof Viljoen's scholarly influence is reflected in his 330 peer-reviewed publications, which have collectively attracted approximately 16 000 citations. His Scopus h-index of 61 is currently the highest at TUT. He has also served as Editor-in-Chief of Elsevier's prestigious Journal of Ethnopharmacology, which has an impact factor of 6.8.

His research leadership has earned several national and international accolades. In 2025, he received the SAMRC Scientific Merit Award for Research Capacity Development and Transformation. He also received an NRF national award recognising his contribution to training Black researchers, the majority of whom were women.

Other honours include the Silver Medal from the South African Association of Botanists, the AU-TWAS-ROSSA Award, the Indigenous Plant Use Forum Award in 2021 for research capacity development in herbal medicine, and the Zandu Award in 2023 from the International Society for Ethnopharmacology.

Together, these achievements reflect a career that extends beyond scientific publications and awards. Through research, academic leadership and postgraduate mentorship, Prof Viljoen continues to strengthen South Africa's phytomedicine research capacity while contributing to the responsible and evidence-based use of medicinal plants.