Page 194 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

Dr Gabriella Hyman receiving the Ms Sinenhlanhla Mthembu receiving the
DSI-Esther Mahlangu Doctoral Fellowship Award DSI-Esther Mahlangu Doctoral Fellowship Award
in Natural Science. in Natural Science.

health professionals. By the virtue of being employed medical doctor from the University of Witwatersrand
in healthcare settings, health professionals are ideally (Wits) and an MPH graduate from the T.H. Chan
placed to carry out clinically driven research, with an School of Public Health. Her PhD research focuses
increased likelihood of research findings being taken on investigating the key performance indicators that
up by policymakers, practitioners, and other potential affect the delivery and quality of surgical care in the
users. The scholarship programmes have continued South African public health sector. Dr Hyman hopes
to make excellent progress in transformation and that her research will inform public health policy
strengthening research capacity. In 2024/25, RCD and practice and bring about innovative strategies
awarded PhD and MSc scholarships of which, for sustainable health systems strengthening. She
71% were awarded to female candidates and 29% has published in peer-reviewed publications in
male candidates. The distribution of scholarships by renowned journals including The Lancet, Journal of
gender, ethnic group and institution for 2024/25 are Pediatric Surgery, and the South African Journal of
depicted in the figure above. Surgery, and has presented her work at prominent
international conferences. Dr Hyman is the first
Impact of RCD Scholarship Funding medical doctor to receive a SAWiSA award under
One of the ways we assess the impact of the SAMRC the emerging research category. Miss Sinenhlanhla
scholarships on individual recipients is to look at Mthembu did her first degree and her Masters, which
their career progression, research outputs and was funded by RCD, at the University of Zululand.
research awards. During this reporting period, two She is a Biochemistry PhD student at North-West
emerging researchers funded by RCD won awards University (NWU) in collaboration with SAMRC’s
under the Department of Science and Innovation BRIP. Her PhD research focuses on investigating the
(DSI) – Fellowships award category at the 2024 implications of Dyslipidemia, one of the major risk
South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA): factors for cardiovascular diseases in patients with
Dr Gabriella Hyman, funded under the SAMRC type 2 diabetes. In addition, she is also investigating
Institutional Clinician Researcher Programme and Ms the potential therapeutic properties of dietary
Sinenhlanhla Mthembu, funded under the SAMRC compounds such as Aspalathin and Sulforaphane on
Postgraduate Research Associate Programme. This their cardioprotective properties. She has published
year, the event honoured the globally acclaimed her findings in peer-reviewed articles. The success
visual artist and much-loved cultural ambassador of of Dr Hyman and Ms Mthembu is a clear reflection
the Ndebele nation, Dr Esther Mahlangu, by naming of the RCD's commitment to nurturing exceptional
a category in her name. Dr Gabriella Hyman is a talent and driving impactful research.

192 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25