Food Evolution Research Laboratory

26/08/2026

We’re proud to see Prof Hema Kesa, Director of FERC, featured as a speaker at the SA Chefs Women in Culinary Conference on 27 August 2026. ✨

The conference brings together inspiring women across the culinary, hospitality, tourism, academia and entrepreneurship sectors to share insights, celebrate achievements and empower the next generation of women leaders.

Prof Kesa will be part of the Academic Empowerment session, sharing insights on Future-Proofing Your Career. 👩🏽‍🍳🎓

21/08/2026

Technology & School Nutrition

Yesterday, FERC, in partnership with the Tiger Brands Foundation (TBF), Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), hosted a Learning Forum themed “Technology-Driven Solutions and Possibilities in School Nutrition Programmes.”

The forum brought together key stakeholders to explore how technology, digital innovation and data-driven solutions can strengthen school nutrition programmes and contribute to improved outcomes for learners.

Thank you to our partners, speakers and participants for contributing to an engaging and thought-provoking conversation on the future of technology in school nutrition.

19/08/2026

Food security begins with knowledge, collaboration, and action.

This World Humanitarian Day, FERC reaffirms its commitment to advancing research that supports sustainable food systems, improved nutrition, and healthier communities.

Together, we can create lasting impact.

07/08/2026

The FERC team, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Zululand (UniZulu), spent this week in KwaZulu-Natal conducting research on indigenous foods. 🌾

By documenting, exploring, and celebrating indigenous food knowledge, this collaboration contributes to preserving cultural heritage, strengthening sustainable food systems, and advancing research that supports food and nutrition security for future generations.

28/07/2026

A thought-provoking public lecture by Prof Emile Chimusa on how AI, genomics, and precision nutrition are shaping the future of healthcare. Proud to see FERC driving these important conversations.
Read more below. ⬇️

The University of Johannesburg’s School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH) recently hosted an insightful public lecture through its Food Evolution Research Centre (Formerly, Food Evolution Research Laboratory), exploring how artificial intelligence, genomics, and nutrition science are transforming the future of healthcare.

Presented by Professor Emile R. Chimusa, the lecture unpacked the exciting possibilities of precision nutrition while highlighting Africa’s important role in advancing global research and innovation.

Read more about the key insights from this fascinating discussion below. ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-genome-fork-rethinking-nutrition-o7qcf

21/07/2026

Three days. New knowledge. Lasting impact. 🌍📚

The Food Evolution Research Centre (FERC) was proud to host an inspiring three-day workshop, where our Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PDRF) and postgraduate students had the opportunity to learn from FERC’s Visiting Professor, Professor Emile Chimusa.

Through the workshop, Promoting Indigenous Foods in Africa, participants explored systematic review methodologies while gaining hands-on exposure to AI and data science tools that are shaping the future of food and nutrition research.

At FERC, we believe that investing in researchers today is key to building more resilient, innovative and sustainable food systems for tomorrow. By combining indigenous knowledge with emerging technologies, we continue to empower the next generation of research leaders across Africa. 🌱✨

20/07/2026

67 minutes. Countless moments of hope. 💚

This Mandela Day, FERC and the School of Tourism & Hospitality (STH), University of Johannesburg (UJ) were proud to partner again with Hamba Bamba Funda in making a meaningful difference.

Our team prepared the Jars of Hope and had the privilege of joining the day’s activities, sharing meaningful moments of connection, learning and joy with fathers, babies and caregivers. It was a powerful reminder that lasting impact is created through collaboration, compassion and service, and that even the smallest acts of kindness can leave a lasting legacy.

A heartfelt thank you to all who made this inspiring initiative possible. Together, we continue to honour Madiba’s legacy by serving our communities with purpose.

18/07/2026

Honouring Mandela Day 🧡
This Mandela Day, the Food Evolution Research Centre (FERC) team proudly participated in the Jars of Hope initiative, coming together to help make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela, we are reminded that even the smallest acts of kindness can create lasting change. Together with the School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH), we remain committed to serving our communities and making a positive impact—one act of kindness at a time.
"It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it." – Nelson Mandela
Happy Mandela Day! 💛💚

17/07/2026

A successful afternoon of learning, collaboration, and innovation! 🤝🧠

Thank you to everyone who joined the Food Evolution Research Centre (FERC), the School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH), UJ for our public lecture, “From Genome to Fork: Leveraging Multimodal AI to Predict, Personalize, and Prevent Diet-Associated Disease.”

A special thank you to Professor Emile Chimusa for his thought-provoking presentation on the future of AI, nutrition, and precision health, and to all attendees for making the session engaging and impactful.

Together, we continue advancing research, innovation, and healthier futures.

16/07/2026

A huge congratulations to our FERC members on their outstanding achievements! 🎉 Tholakele Radebe graduated with a Master's degree with Distinction💫, and Dr Sarika Sujan proudly graduated with her PhD👩🏽‍🎓. Both supervised by Prof Kesa. We are incredibly proud of both of them and wish them every success as they continue to make an impact through their research.