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University of Cape Town palaeobiologist and Department of Biological Sciences head Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan received this year’s Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Science-for-Society Gold Medal for outstanding achievement in scientific thinking to the benefit of society.
Chinsamy-Turan was considered a global expert on the microscopic structure of the bones of extinct and extant vertebrates.
ASSAf also acknowledged two young scientists for outstanding achievement through the African Union–The World Academy of Sciences (AU-TWAS) Young Scientist National Awards scheme.
University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology associate and Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform research unit senior research scientist Professor Yahya Choonara received the award for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation.
He was recognised for his contribution to pharmaceutics and 'pharMATHaceutics', a novel concept he coined, for implementing unique computational algorithms that assist in the optimisation of drug delivery systems.
North-West University Centre of Excellence for Nutrition nutrition and haemostasis subprogramme head Professor Marlien Pieters received the AU-TWAS award for Earth and Life Sciences.
Her role in the subprogramme was not only to establish a sustainable research programme for postgraduate students, but also to acquire infrastructure, equipment, international and national networks and sustainable research funding.
She supervised and cosupervised eight PhD and ten MSc students.