Tivarihanyo - Tivani Mashamba-Thompson
Professor Tivani Mashamba-Thompson: Professor of Diagnostics Research at University of Limpopo and University of KwaZulu-Natal. Co-Principal Investigator for the HEAIDS (Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme) at the University of Limpopo, co-founder and Director of the Mulamula Education Centre and Member of scientific advisory board of Uhambo and Shonaquip Foundation. Connect: Twitter@tivani.thompson
Her Research: Tivani and her team’s work is all about speed and accuracy – how quickly a person can get a medical diagnostic test, and the results from that test, and making sure that these medical diagnostics are accurate. Medical tests are something that many take for granted when you live close to a clinic and can easily get the results. But many people live far from clinics, the cost of transportation is high, or to visit the clinic they have to take a day off of work. For many people, a quick result can be the difference between getting treated for an illness or not. Medical diagnostics that can be done at a clinic are called point-of-care tests (POC) and include tests for a variety of different illnesses. With technological advances more tests are becoming POC, and ensuring that these tests are working and that they reach underserved populations is part of what Tivani studies. See her scientific papers
Her Superpowers: Speed! Tivani is quick and pro-active. She jumps on grant opportunities, takes data and turns them into scientific papers as quick as a flash, and never lets the grass grow under her.
Her Name: Tivarihanyo means know your health status in her first language, Xitsonga. Tivani means to have knowledge. Born and raised in Limpopo, Tivani’s heritage means a lot to her. She recently moved to University of Limpopo to help develop research capacity there.
Her Heroes: “My heroes are my grandparents - they did not have a formal education but they knew the value of education and ensured that they push their children and grandchildren to study. My grandmother enrolled in an adult learning course in her 80s to learn to read and write.”
What it takes to be a good scientist: Tivani believes in working smarter not harder, so she’s rank hard work the lowest. What are we missing? Integrity, the importance for scientists to be honest, and true to their data even if it doesn’t tell them what they want to see.
USolwazi Tivani Mashamba-Thompson: USolwazi weDiagnostics Research eNyuvesi yaseLimpopo naseNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal. Umphenyi Oyinhloko We-HEAIDS (Uhlelo Lwezemfundo Ephakeme Nokuqeqeshwa Kwe-HIV/AIDS) eNyuvesi yaseLimpopo, umsunguli kanye noMqondisi we-Mulamula Education Centre kanye neLungu lebhodi labaluleki besayensi ye-Uhambo kanye ne-Shonaquip Foundation.
Ucwaningo Lwakhe: Umsebenzi we-Tivani kanye nethimba lakhe umayelana nesivinini nokunemba - ukuthi umuntu angathola ngokushesha kangakanani ukuhlolwa kokuxilongwa kwezokwelapha, kanye nemiphumela yalokho kuhlolwa, nokuqinisekisa ukuthi lezi zindlela zokuxilonga zezokwelapha zinembile. Ukuhlolwa kwezokwelapha kuyinto abaningi abayithatha kalula uma uhlala eduze nomtholampilo futhi bangathola kalula imiphumela. Kodwa abantu abaningi bahlala kude nemitholampilo, izindleko zokuhamba ziphezulu, noma ukuvakashela emtholampilo kufanele bathathe usuku emsebenzini. Kubantu abaningi, umphumela osheshayo ungaba umehluko phakathi kokulashelwa ukugula noma cha. Ukuxilongwa kwezokwelapha okungenziwa emtholampilo kubizwa ngokuthi i-point-of-care tests (POC) futhi kuhlanganisa nokuhlolwa kwezifo ezihlukahlukene ezihlukahlukene. Ngokuthuthuka kwezobuchwepheshe izivivinyo eziningi seziyaba yi-POC, nokuqinisekisa ukuthi lezi zivivinyo ziyasebenza nokuthi zifinyelela kubantu abanganakiwe kuyingxenye yalokho okufundwa yi-Tivani. Bheka amaphepha akhe esayensi
Amandla Akhe Amandla: Ijubane! I-Tivani iyashesha futhi iyasebenza. Ugxumela emathubeni esibonelelo sikahulumeni, athathe idatha ayenze amaphepha esayensi ngokushesha njengokuphazima kweso, futhi akalokothi avumele utshani bukhule ngaphansi kwakhe.
Igama Lakhe: U-Tivarihanyo usho ukuthi yazi isimo sakho sempilo ngolimi lwakhe lokuqala, isiTsonga. I-Tivani isho ukuba nolwazi. Wazalelwa futhi wakhulela eLimpopo, ifa likaTivani lisho lukhulu kuye. Usanda kuthuthela eNyuvesi yaseLimpopo ukuze asize ukuthuthukisa amakhono ocwaningo lapho.
Amaqhawe Akhe: “Amaqhawe ami ngogogo nomkhulu - awazange afunde kodwa ayazi ukubaluleka kwemfundo futhi aqinisekisa ukuthi aphusha izingane zabo nabazukulu ukuba bafunde. Ugogo wami wabhalisa esifundweni sabadala esiseminyakeni yawo-80 ukuze afunde ukufunda nokubhala.”
Okudingekayo ukuze ube usosayensi omuhle: U-Tivani ukholelwa ekusebenzeni ngobuhlakani hhayi kanzima, ngakho-ke ubeka umsebenzi onzima endaweni ephansi kakhulu. Sishoda ngani? Ubuqotho, ukubaluleka kososayensi ukuthi bathembeke, futhi bathembeke kudatha yabo ngisho noma ingabatsheli lokho abafuna ukukubona.
Xhuma: Twitter@tivani.thompson