Putting the finishing touches on a project that we’ve spent many months on. As SuperScientists, we are helping rewrite the story on what it means to be a scientist - they’re cool, they can do amazing things - and who can be one. This group of scientists at SANTHE Africa are rewriting the narrative on gender equity in science. When one gender is less able to contribute to scientific research, we all lose out. Over the coming days from May 25th, we will be introducing a host of new SuperScientists and they will be sharing their ideas on how we can have "#GenderEquityInScience. Join the conversation on Twitter @GenderEquitySci
What does it take to succeed at science? So many things but we asked our scientists to rank creativty, curiosity, communication and hard work. We previously had info about the average salary in the field, and the learners we work with were VERY motivated by that, but there were also people that didn’t like this info. We listened and have changed them.
We really want to be able to get cards out to all who have expressed interest as soon as the lock down is done.
Scientists around the world are responding to the pandemic. Prof Bulie Magula is one of the experts the National Department of Health has called on to talk about COVID-19. Watch her and other SA experts at https://sacoronavirus.co.za/category/listen-to-the-experts/
Bulie will be leading KZN’s component of the WHO Solidarity Trial, a worldwide set of clinical trials to evaluate COVID-19 treatments. She’s also busy with preparting the provincial health system for coronavirus patients. Lots of hard work being done. We will science our way out of this, one way or another.
Our newest SuperScientists from KEMRI | Wellcome Trust in Kenya. Prof Faith Osier a malaria vaccinlogist, Dr Kui Muraya a gender in health social scientist, Prof George Warimwe a vaccinologist (he’s worked on viruses related to COVID-19), and Peter Macharia a geospatial modeler. Read all about their work and download their colour-in pages at Activities.
Science and scientists have, arguably, never been more important than now. Thanks for your interest in them and what they do!
We’re excited to launch a new way to interact with the fantastic scientists we are sharing. We have 10 colouring in pages at Activities . Download Prof EcoHealth and Coral Commodore, colour them in, add some background and make them yours. Colour them in or draw your own SuperScientist and share your creativity with us. You never know what might happen!
Congratulations to Maphe Mthembu (below and the SuperScientist SideScatter), for receiving her first named grant! We are working with her and other members of the Africa Health Research Initiative and and the SANTHE network to develop a group of SuperScientists, who will come together to discuss approaches to reducing gender inequity in science and leave with materials and a new approach to the narratives that define science and scientists. Photo credit: AHRI
Our first marine scientists are done, with more to come!
Dr. Sohana Singh is Dr. Drift a marine geneticist at the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) who studies the diversity of zooplankton and how marine protected areas (MPAs), we have 41 in South Africa, benefit these critical animals and if and how they move from one MPA to another. ORI is part of the SAAMBR. Know about Ushaka Marine World, then you know the other part of SAAMBR - science, education and recreation. Next time you’re thinking of the fun times in Durban know that if you were to take a right turn you could end up in the lab with Sohana and all the other cool scientists that are cracking away at the mysteries of our Indian Ocean.
Dr. Nelson Miranda, is Captain Caracol and co-leads Argonaut Science, an environmental science research, services and education company. (Not all science has to be done within in the university!) His work includes studies of the invasive snail Tarebia granifera that lives in KZN and Mozambique (caracol is snail in Portugesse) along with a host of other research and education activities. He’s already a hero to many kids in Cape Town through his work with youth and community led marine appreciation and education groups - Oceano Reddentes, The Future Kids Club, and See The Bigger Picture.
Tivarihanyo, aka Dr Tivani Mashamba-Thompson, joins the SuperScientists crew! Tivani’s work is all about speed. She studies point-of-care testing, medical tests that can be done at the clinic or at home instead of having to be transported to a laboratory. She studies how effective point-of-care (POC) tests are, their impact on health outcomes, and how to implement and scale POC tests to reach more people. Tivarihanyo means “know your health” in Xitsonga, Tivani’s mother tongue, and making medical results easier to come by, does just that.
