Three PhD candidates from the University of Cape Town (UCT) have been recognised by the L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science programme for their excellent contributions to science in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Cosnet Lerato Rametse, a PhD candidate in the Division of Immunology, and Lusani Mamushiane, a PhD candidate in UCT’s 5G laboratory, had both been selected for the South African National Young Talents Programme 2021 and have received research grants of R80 000 each, UCT said last week.
Hendrina Shipanga, who is completing her PhD in Medical Biochemistry, has been selected for the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Young Talents Programme 2021, which comes with a research grant of €10 000 (approximately R177 000).
The Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa regional programme, established in 2010, and the South African National programme, established in 2019, are both joint initiatives by L’Oréal and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) to promote and encourage the participation of young African women in science.
Shipanga conducted an analysis of driver gene mutations in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oesophageal cancer is the sixth cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Rametse looked at the effect of asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections on HIV susceptibility in the penis, while Mamushiane examined 5G RAN network sharing empowered by machine learning and network slicing.
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