Surprise award for UCT student

A handy win: Hope Gangata won the award for the best research poster at the recent 37th Annual Regional Conference of the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa.

Master's student Hope Gangata could not believe his good fortune when he walked away with the SV Naidoo prize for the Best Research Poster '“ one of just four accolades on offer - at a major Southern African conference.

Gangata, based in the Department of Human Biology, won the award at the 37th Annual Regional Conference of the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa, held in Magaliesburg in the North West Province from 22 to 25 April. What surprised him about the award was that his presentation was from the physiotherapy field, yet it won at an anatomical conference.

Gangata's poster was titled The clinical surface anatomy anomalies of the Palmaris Longus muscle in the Black African population of Zimbabwe and a proposed new testing technique.

'The prize has given me confidence in my work, as I am very passionate about both physiotherapy and anatomy,' he says. 'I am fortunate to have a very supportive department'.

There were 85 oral and poster presentations at the conference and Gangata won on his first attempt.