“Science Oscars” of South Africa took place last week.
Now in their 27th year, the awards celebrate exceptional contributions to science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation across the country.
This year, the awards focussed on Quantum Science and Technology, aligning with the United Nations’ proclamation of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
A chunk of researchers, scholars and teams nominated, were from UCT.
Professor Mosa Moshabela, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT), said “these nominations are a testament to the world-class calibre of research and innovation being undertaken at UCT. They also reflect our collective commitment to addressing complex challenges through knowledge, creativity and collaboration.”
Lifetime Award
Professor Brenda Morrow – Department of Paediatrics and Child Health – for her
interdisciplinary work improving child health outcomes in resource-limited settings.
TW Kambule–NSTF Award: Researcher
Professor Mark Blumenthal – Solid State Physics and Nanotechnology – for advancing forensic imaging in South Africa.
Dr Mubeen Goolam – Cell Biology and Neuroscience Institute – for developing African-specific brain models to study neural development and disorders.
Dr Shajid Haque – Department of Mathematics – for his contributions to quantum complexity and its implications in theoretical physics.
TW Kambule–NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher
Dr Rachael Dangarembizi – CIDRI-Africa – for groundbreaking work on neuroinfectious diseases and her leadership in scientific mentorship.
Dr Alex de Voux – School of Public Health – for innovations in STI testing and HIV prevention among pregnant women.
NSTF–SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award
Dr Melissa Nel – Neurogenomics Lab, Neuroscience Institute – for introducing genome sequencing to clinical settings to aid in diagnosing rare neurological disorders.
Professor Aneesa Vanker – Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital – for exploring the impact of environmental exposures on children’s lung health.
Data for Research Award
Dr Jasper Slingsby – Centre for Statistics in Ecology, the Environment and Conservation – for BioSCape, Africa’s largest airborne-ground biodiversity dataset.
Dr Sanjin Muftić and Ms Thandokazi Maceba – Digital Library Services – for advancing open-access digital scholarship through the Ibali and ZivaHub platforms.
Communication Award
Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan – Biological Sciences – for bringing prehistoric biodiversity into public consciousness.
The Cosmic Savannah Podcast Team – Dr Jacinta Delhaize and colleagues – for showcasing African astronomy to a global audience.
Special Annual Theme Award: Quantum Science and Technology
Professor Mark Blumenthal – for his dual contributions to quantum science and
forensic innovation.