Cardiotoxicity of plants in South Africa

It is with great regret that we announce the death of our editorin-chief, Prof Andries Brink, former dean of the Medical Faculty and head of Cardiology at Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, and previously the president of the South African Medical Research Council. Prof Brink was among the modern pioneers who brought South African cardiology to the attention of the medical community worldwide. He achieved this through his original research, and later in his career, by creating opportunities for others to conduct research, which enhanced patient care throughout our continent. In South Africa, he was a founder of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Stellenbosch, first president of the South African Medical Research Council and a driving force in establishing the South African Heart Foundation. He also contributed significantly to the development and subsequent success of more than 25 organisations, including the South African Medical and Dental Council, the South African Council for Scientific Research (CSIR), the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Council and the Council of the University of Stellenbosch. Prof Brink’s many achievements were recognised by academic institutions, professional organisations and societies. These honours included an honorary doctorate from the University of Stellenbosch, the Havenga prize from the Suid Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, the Claude Leon Harris merit award, the South African Decoration for Meritorious Service and the Wellcome Trust gold medal. Throughout his career, Prof Brink was a prolific author of many widely cited scientific articles. Additionally, he was a passionate believer in the academic development of Afrikaans as a modern medical language. After more than two decades of intense work, this resulted in the publication with co-workers of the authoritative Woordeboek van Afrikaanse Geneeskundeterme, which at last provided healthcare professionals and patients with the comprehensive medical terminology now used throughout South Africa. More recently Prof Brink dedicated himself to bringing cardiology in Africa to a global audience. As always he led from the front. In 1990, he founded the Cardiovascular Journal of South Africa, which he was determined from the outset should be ‘world class’. As a result of the standards he set, the Journal achieved full Medline recognition within 10 years. Then, as South Africa became a member of the African cardiology community, Prof Brink, with the support of the Pan-African Society for Cardiology, opened this Journal to the African continent, providing another unique contribution to the development of medical education in Africa. For nearly seven decades, Prof Brink’s tireless energy, dedication to scientific excellence and innovative spirit inspired generations of cardiologists. We will always be immensely proud of this Journal as one of the unique achievements of a remarkable man.