Global Women Thought Leaders in Neuroethics and Mental Health To Watch in 2026
In an age when neuroscience and artificial intelligence are rapidly redrawing the boundaries of what it means to be human, the question is no longer simply what we can do but what we should do. Who decides how new brain technologies are used? Whose values shape innovation? And who gets left out of the conversation? In this edition, we spotlight a scholar ensuring that Africa is not a footnote in that future, but a defining voice within it.
On Cover
Dr. Olivia Matshabane
Neuroethics Researcher ,Africa Neuroethics Research Group, SAMRC/SU Genomics of Brain Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University
In the small village called eNqgele, near eDikeni (Alice) in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, is where Dr. Matshabane was born and raised in a traditional Xhosa home by her grandparents. In Ngqele is where she spent her first 1000 days – which developmental psychologists posit are a critical phase of a child’s life, as the things that occur to and around the child significantly influence the child’s brain, body and emotional development.
Dr. Sola Togun-Butler
Founder, CEO, Psychotherapist, & Coach
In a medical practice in Nigeria, where two doctors opened their doors to everyone regardless of their ability to pay, a young girl watched her parents rewrite the rules of healthcare. Her father, a psychiatrist, spoke openly about mental health in a society where such conversations were taboo. Her mother, a general practitioner, treated patients with dignity even when payment never came. These were not occasional acts of charity but the daily rhythm of a household where service was as natural as breathing.
Dr. Euganthri Pillay
Head of Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance and Responsible Pharmacist at Novo Nordisk (Pty) Ltd
In the complex world of pharmaceutical regulation, where science meets policy and innovation confronts compliance, few leaders embody the delicate balance of rigor and compassion quite like Dr. Euganthri Pillay. With nearly two decades of experience transforming how medicines reach patients across South Africa, she represents a new generation of healthcare leaders who refuse to separate business excellence from social responsibility.
