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By Lungile Ntimba
South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) has expanded its expertise by enlisting biomedical sciences lecturer Caitlin Uren into its ranks.
SAYAS was founded in 2011 and it aims to be the voice of young scientists across the country, fostering opportunities to influence policy decisions, promoting science awareness and engaging in educational activities for research and development.
Caitlen Uren, who is a lecturer at Stellenbosch University, regarded her SAYAS membership as an opportunity to play a broader role in improving communities.
Uren is currently conducting research on tuberculosis (TB) pharmacokinetics with an aim to improve treatment outcomes in patients across Africa.
“In addition to my pharmacokinetics work, we are also interested in quantifying latent TB infection in the Northern Cape with the goal of better understanding the genetic and non-genetic factors that lead to progression from latent TB infection to active TB infection.
“Associated with that, we are running a training and outreach initiative in the area on general TB awareness, understanding the signs and symptoms of TB, risk factors, TB diagnostics and TB treatment,” she said.
The university said other outreach events in the province included meetings with high school students on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects leading up to tertiary education.
Uren said practical activities were arranged to get students interested in biological sciences.
“Genetics is quite a broad field, but no matter what aspect of genetics you are looking into, you are likely to either directly or indirectly positively influence an individual’s life.
“It is this potential to benefit an individual or society that attracted me to genetics,” she added.
Uren emphasised that Africa was under-represented in biomedical and in pharmacokinetics research particularly, to the extent that the continent had been disadvantaged.
“There is therefore room for improvement – not only in terms of the extent and breadth of research in the are – but in the capacity for us to help patients achieve a positive treatment outcome without any serious adverse side-effects. I think it’s an area that can have the greatest impact,” she said.
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