LONGEVITY
SCIENCE FORUM AFRICA 2026

Roles

Founder & Executive Chairman, Regenerative and Cellular Medicine Registry (RCMR) · Founder & CEO, Clinical & Advanced Therapies for Rare Diseases Registry (CATRDR) · Advisor to the Director General, East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) · Vice Chairman, Health Sector, CS Network / Connect Souq.

Biography

Dr Salmaan Dalvi is an internationally recognised healthcare strategist, regenerative medicine specialist, longevity advocate, and global health systems leader whose work focuses on the convergence of longevity science, regenerative medicine, biological infrastructure, and health system transformation. His career spans more than 41 years in the health sector — encompassing healthcare delivery, diagnostics, transplantation, regenerative and cellular medicine, rare diseases, biological infrastructure, public health, and international healthcare development.

He serves as Founder and Executive Chairman of the Regenerative and Cellular Medicine Registry (RCMR), a UK-based health systems infrastructure organisation dedicated to advancing disease intelligence, precision diagnostics, regenerative and cellular therapies, treatment accessibility, biological infrastructure, workforce development, healthy ageing, and innovative healthcare solutions that improve outcomes across diverse populations. He is also Founder and CEO of the Clinical & Advanced Therapies for Rare Diseases Registry (CATRDR), an international initiative focused on improving the identification, diagnosis, management, research, and treatment of rare, genetic, and complex diseases through integrated data systems, advanced therapies, international collaboration, and equitable access to healthcare innovation.

Widely recognised for his work in regenerative medicine and healthcare innovation, Dr Dalvi has contributed to initiatives spanning stem cell transplantation, donor registries, cord blood banking, transfusion medicine, diagnostics, cellular therapies, precision medicine, and health system strengthening. He is particularly known for advocating the concept of Biological Infrastructure — the strategic integration of registries, diagnostics, biobanks, genomic and cellular technologies, advanced therapies, digital health platforms, and treatment access systems to create sustainable and future-ready healthcare ecosystems.

As Advisor to the Director General of the ECSA-HC, an intergovernmental organisation serving more than 300 million people, he contributes to regional and international dialogue on healthcare innovation, workforce development, diagnostics, regenerative medicine, healthy ageing, disease prevention, and health system strengthening. A passionate advocate for longevity science and healthy ageing, he promotes a systems-based approach combining prevention, precision diagnostics, regenerative medicine, advanced therapeutics, biological preparedness, and equitable access to innovation — believing the future of healthcare must focus not only on extending lifespan but also on improving healthspan.

As Vice Chairman of the Health Sector for CS Network / Connect Souq, he supports international collaboration across healthcare, life sciences, biotechnology, technology, education, investment, industry, and government, facilitating partnerships that drive innovation, knowledge exchange, and sustainable economic development. Throughout his career he has worked with governments, ministries of health, academic institutions, healthcare providers, patient organisations, industry leaders, investors, and international agencies, driven by a commitment to resilient, inclusive, and patient-centred healthcare systems that bridge science, technology, policy, and clinical practice.

Today his work focuses on integrated health infrastructure connecting disease intelligence, precision diagnostics, biological banking, regenerative medicine, advanced therapies, treatment access, and longevity science into coherent, sustainable systems. He currently leads international initiatives across the United Kingdom, Africa, and Asia exploring the intersection of longevity science, regenerative medicine, biological infrastructure, and health system resilience — with a particular focus on improving healthspan and expanding equitable access to future healthcare innovation for populations across Africa, Asia, and the wider Global Ethnic Majority.

Anti-aging and longevity researcher with a strong focus on biotechnology entrepreneurship. Expertise in recombinant expression, purification, and scale-up of enzymes, proteins, and peptides for pharmaceutical, vaccine, and cosmetic applications. Founder of Bio Nova Veritas (operating as Nova Vita Biochemicals), advancing a multi-stage pipeline of personalized anti-aging solutions.

Originally from Durban and schooled in the Natal Midlands, with a passion for integrating commerce and science to commercialize biotechnological advances. Holding degrees in Commerce and Science (Rhodes University), he completed an MSc in Biochemistry investigating enzyme synergy for lignocellulosic waste degradation toward biofuel production. Following work at the CSIR, he earned a PhD in Medical Biochemistry through UCT, developing heterologous recombinant systems for peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase to enable biosimilar α-amidated peptide production. Postdoctoral research at Stellenbosch University (Biofoundry) focused on yeast-based recombinant enzyme scale-up and purification for mRNA vaccine production under GMP-like conditions.

As founder and CEO of Bio Nova Veritas / Nova Vita Biochemicals, he is advancing anti-aging and longevity solutions through personalized genetic/RNA testing, AI-guided interventions, repurposed compounds, and novel recombinant peptides/proteins aimed at epigenetic reprogramming and healthspan extension. He has informally mentored numerous students, delivered bioprocessing courses for UVU Bio's accelerator, and maintains active consulting in bioprocess optimization and regulatory compliance.

Research Interests

Anti-aging, longevity, cosmetics, protein and peptide engineering, recombinant protein expression in E. coli and multiple yeast species, protein purification, enzyme activity assays, and peptide production.

Dr Ephraim Cebisa Mabena is a qualified Iridologist and Traditional Healer with an immense interest in the environment and its preservation. In 2001, driven by his ancestral spiritual connection, he formed Mothong African Heritage, a Non-Profit Organisation. He rehabilitated a section of the Magaliesberg, transforming it into a tourist attraction boosted by its heritage of Nature Conservation. Mothong also functions as an institution that educates people about biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. In 2011, Dr Mabena collaborated with the Ministry of External Affairs of the Indian government to create India-Africa workshops to share practical experiences, information, and expertise on Traditional Medicine. In June 2013, he was a founding signatory to the Indigenous Knowledge Systems' Bioprospecting and Product Development Platform in Pretoria — an initiative driven by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). As a traditional healer, Dr Mabena firmly believes that the Environment is the giver of life, and that all Traditional Knowledge relating to human and animal life is strongly embedded in nature and can be accessed within the Environment.

Ambassador Pule Malefane is the Chairman of the Mpho Madi Trust Fund, whose objective is to provide support for children born without limbs. He is also the Secretary of Kutlwano Social Organization — established in 1992 with 90 male members — whose objective is to coordinate and support community development and empowerment.

📧 malefanepi@gmail.com · 🌐 www.kutlwano.org

Princess Thibule Mosotho Lorna Raphahlelo is a visionary leader, community shaper, and organisational strategist dedicated to advancing Africa's socio-economic transformation through heritage, leadership, and sustainable development — blending traditional leadership with modern governance.

As a member of the Pan African Tourism Board and Head of the Royal Legacy Tourism Desk, she positions African royal and traditional leadership as custodians of land, culture, and heritage assets, championing Heritage Tourism as a socio-economic driver in rural, village, and peri-urban communities. Her focus spans inclusive tourism ecosystems, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, business tourism, health & wellness tourism rooted in African traditional medicine, and indigenous sports and leisure tourism.

She holds a Bachelor of Theology (2020) and an accredited Life Coaching certificate (2014), with further credentials in leadership, M&E, financial management, and forensic training. She is CEO of Lorpen Investments (an accredited multi-SETA training institution) and RMCII Solutions (import/export training), and Founder & Chairperson of the LornaN Foundation, which runs community programmes in health, gender-based violence, harm reduction, and youth empowerment.

Her affiliations include General Secretary of AIDO Network South Africa, Vice President of PIRUSA Union, and former Regional Secretary of CONTRALESA Tshwane, among other royal and civil-society leadership roles. Through the Royal Legacy Tourism Desk, she continues to redefine tourism as a tool for social cohesion, cultural pride, and inclusive economic growth.

Dr. Tesfahun Admasu is a Project Scientist in Immuno-Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Head of the Department of Biotechnology at the Shaggar Institute of Technology. His research bridges cancer immunotherapy and aging biology, with a focus on tumor microenvironment remodeling, cellular senescence, and T-cell co-stimulation. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the National University of Singapore and has published in leading scientific journals, including Science Advances, Cell Reports, and Developmental Cell.

Dr Gauta Gold Matlou is the current Co-Chair of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) and works as a senior scientist at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. He is an NRF-rated chemist specialising in nanomedicine and advanced drug-delivery systems. His research focuses on developing metallic nanoparticle-based drug carriers and photoactive dyes to improve targeted cancer therapies — aiming to enhance treatment effectiveness while reducing side effects associated with conventional therapies. He is an alumnus of the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, and the Hult-Prize global entrepreneurship programme.

Professor Christa Janse van Rensburg is a full professor and Head of the Department in the Section of Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria, and the recently appointed Director of SEMLI (Sports, Exercise Medicine, and Lifestyle Institute). A qualified rheumatologist, she holds an undergraduate medical degree (MBChB – cum laude), an MSc in sports and exercise medicine, and an MMed in physical medicine (rheumatology – cum laude). She earned her doctorate (DMed) in internal medicine.

She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM) and the International Sports Medicine Federation (FFIMS). Her DMed studies highlighted the benefits of exercise for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Her current research explores travel in athletes and injuries, illnesses, and mental health issues across various sports disciplines — with ongoing international collaborations including Amsterdam University Medical Centres (Netherlands), Leeds Beckett University (United Kingdom), Limerick University (Ireland), and Aspetar Orthopaedic Hospital (Qatar).