Milestones and highlights from 2013 - November

09 December 2013


Prof Ed Sturrock	Fellows' dinner

UCT scientists feature prominently in the Medical Research Council's merit awards: Emer Prof Eric Bateman (Lung Institute), receives a lifetime achievement award; Prof Keertan Dheda, (pulmonology) wins a gold medal; and Prof Kelly Chibale (chemistry) and Assoc Prof Graeme Meintjes (medicine) receive MRC Young Scientist Awards (silver medal).
UCT researchers working with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research devise an innovative solution for uninterrupted video streaming on mobile devices in Africa, touted to change the face of mobile usage across the continent. Algorithms adjust quality to match available bandwidth.
Oceanographer Dr Isabelle Ansorge is part of an international team that deploys deep-sea data collection instruments in the Atlantic Ocean to tell oceanographers how ice-cap melt is affecting the nature and flow of water between the North and South Atlantic Oceans.
A group of fourth-year medical students completes a study on the dangers of the hookah pipe, or hubbly bubbly. They find that the hookah masks a toxic cocktail of compounds (lead, arsenic, etc) and that sharing the pipe exposes users to herpes simplex, hepatitis and TB.
Biomedical engineer Dr Sudesh Sivarasu develops a 'smart glove' to help leprosy patients in India protect their digits and hands from injury as a result of nerve damage and sensory loss. Globally there are 232 000 new leprosy cases annually.
UCT alumni Devin de Vries and Chris Kind's free FindMyWay app is launched for smartphones, condensing information (route maps, departures, fares) about every mode of public transport in six major South African cities into one mahala application.
Two new UCT Fellows are welcomed: Profs Carolyn Williamson and Ed Sturrock (both of clinical laboratory sciences), as well as four recipients of the College of Fellows; Young Researcher Awards: Dr Andrew Hamilton (physics); Assoc Prof Landon Myer (infectious diseases epidemiology); Amanda Tiffin (jazz); and Dr Digby Warner (infectious disease and molecular medicine).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Please view the republishing articles page for more information.

Latest articles

UCT brewing team triumphs at national intervarsity competition Brewing UCT clinched multiple awards at the South African Intervarsity Brewing Challenge in Bloemfontein. 21 Nov 2024

UCT physios pay it forward to Hanover Park community UCT physiotherapists volunteered their time and expertise in a Health for Humanity initiative in Hanover Park. 20 Nov 2024

Innovative teaching celebrated and honoured at UCT Inclusivity, creativity and innovation win exemplary educators UCT’s prestigious Distinguished Teacher Award 2023. 20 Nov 2024

Honouring teaching excellence Two of the four recipients of UCT’s Distinguished Teacher Award 2023 discuss their winning teaching philosophies. 20 Nov 2024