Young African Magazine
Alumni highlights: April 2024
Mandela Rhodes Scholars continue to lead in their industries. As we round up the month of April, we are taking this opportunity to congratulate our Alumni who are doing impactful work around the world.
Alex de Voux (South Africa & University of Cape Town 2005). With a background in infectious disease and field epidemiology, Epidemiologist Dr Alex de Voux is a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCT, researching the prevention and treatment of HIV and other curable sexually transmitted infections. She recently addressed 3500 scientists and scholars and moderated a session on “The Return of Syphilis” at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver, Colorado. Read the article here.
Melody Asukile (Zambia and UCT 2016). A recipient of the 2024 Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships, Dr Melody Asukile is a neurologist and epileptologist at the University of Zambia and University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. Melody will be completing her PhD at the University College London. Her research will investigate the diagnosis and treatment of focal epilepsy in resource-limited countries, with a focus on Zambia and South Africa.
Praise Tembu (Malawi and Rhodes University 2023). Praise has a research-based Honours degree in Science from Rhodes University, where he is currently completing a Master of Science in biotechnology. Also a recipient of the 2024 Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships, Praise is doing his PhD at Glasgow University. His research will focus on how the human cells' energy centres (mitochondria), weaken with age and contribute to many chronic diseases. He will explore the use of affirmers to potentially revitalise these "powerhouses."
Sidney Muhangi (Uganda and Rhodes University 2016). Sidney has been selected as one of 13 global Earth Scholars, granted the prestigious Earth Fellowship by the Scottish Graduate School of Arts and Humanities. His research has implications for enhancing skills for climate resilience among smallholder farmers and facilitating a just transformative transition in small-scale agriculture. This opportunity will allow him to advance his research and collaborate with other innovators in the field.
Taseer Din (Kenya and University of Cape Town 2019). After completing his MBChB at the University of Nairobi, Taseer pursued an Otolaryngology residency at UCT in 2021. Thereafter he went to Stanford University, to complete his Fellowship in Paediatric Otolaryngology. Taseer was recently the attending physician at Sidra Medicine, a research hospital in Qatar where he successfully led the ENT team to perform a vocal cord injection medialization on a child experiencing dysphonia and swallowing issues, putting him at risk of aspiration. The first procedure of its kind in Qatar. Read more here
