In 2024, Drs. Marco Zampoli and Hugues Abriel began envisioning how to expand access to CF care across the African continent. Dr. Zampoli, a paediatric pulmonologist based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and the first person to create a CF registry on the continent, has long been a champion of advancing CF diagnosis and care in African settings. Dr. Abriel is a Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the University of Bern, where his work focuses on channelopathies. Following a sabbatical spent working in Fès (Morocco), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), and Nairobi (Kenya).

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Drs. Abriel and Zampoli connected with a shared vision: to build a collaborative, Pan-African research network dedicated to improving CF recognition, diagnosis, and care. This shared commitment led to the formation of the Pan-African Cystic Fibrosis Research Network.

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Soon thereafter, they engaged Dr. Samya Nasr and Dr. Leah Ratner to help grow and shape the network. Dr. Nasr quickly began mobilizing long-standing colleagues and collaborators across the Middle East, while Dr. Ratner leveraged support from her NHLBI-funded T32 fellowship to take on a leadership role within the network. Dr. Abriel also invited Ms. Muriel Helmers, an information technology specialist, to join the founding team and support the network’s technical infrastructure.

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Together, this founding group began spreading the word and intentionally building community. The first network-wide symposium was held on 11 September 2024, marking a pivotal moment in the network’s development. From there, the Pan-African CF Research Network grew through a participatory, collaborative process—guided by shared leadership, mutual learning, and a commitment to equity across regions.