“As a South African woman from a previously disadvantaged background I aim to develop tools that can be useful to combat diseases that are endemic to our country. That is my main goal.” These are the words of University of Cape Town PhD candidate Veneshley Samuels.
Originally from Atlantis, she says seeing many families living in close quarters contract tuberculosis has driven her to specialising in TB research.
Samuels has been nominated for Adcock Ingram OTC’s Sponsors of Brave: The Next Generation, a platform to aid health-care students financially in their studies, provide them with impactful mentorship from academic, professional and industry leaders and subsequently promote career development in the health sector.
The second of 10 nominees, she was paired with mentor Dr Andani Mulelu, a biochemist and research scientist at the University of Cape Town’s Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit.
His field of study is molecular biology, protein engineering and structural biology, which he is harnessing towards developing a rapid test to diagnose tuberculosis.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global TB report, anywhere between 215 000 and 400 000 people contract TB in South Africa, with the disease claiming an estimated 78 000 lives a year.
Karen Dreyer, board member of the Melkbos Care Centre, believes Samuels is a hero for the future, working on a solution to a very big problem in South Africa and Africa in general.
“I really do believe Veneshley is going to be someone who changes the landscape of medicine in South Africa,” says Dreyer.
Pursuing a career in health care is challenging at the best of times and during a pandemic it takes unwavering bravery.
“Veneshley has shown a lot of courage,” says mentor Dr Mulelu. During lockdown, while most of us were at home, Veneshley was in the field collecting clinical samples from TB patients.
Mulelu agrees with this assessment. “The work she is doing will help a lot of people, and she has a great future in this field,” he said.
The second season of Adcock Ingram OTC is now in full swing, seeking the next generation of health-care heroes. People such as Veneshley who have just started working in, or are studying towards a career in health care, can benefit from the guidance and support of a mentor.
Each week until 25 November a new nominee is chosen and featured.
All 10 featured nominees will be paired with a selected mentor for career development and stand a chance to win one of two R25 000 scholarships.
