From Khayelitsha to flying South African flag high at global science fair
Image: Supplied
Salusiwe Mxayiya from Luhlaza High School in Khayelitsha along with three other exceptional young innovators from Johannesburg are flying the South African flag high in Columbus, Ohio, at the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists winners are representing the country at Regeneron ISEF 2025, the world's largest pre-college Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition, with four cutting-edge research projects that reflect the innovation, scientific curiosity, and global competitiveness of the country's young scientists.
Regeneron ISEF 2025, takes place from May 10 to 16.
This year's fair is celebrating its 75th anniversary and will feature research projects from more than 1 800 learners from nearly every state in the USA and more than 60 countries, regions and territories.
Seventeen-year-old Salusiwe said representing the country at the competition was a dream come true.
Her project, 'Investigating the infection rates of Hector's lantern fish by the copepod parasite and the implications for population dynamics,' offers groundbreaking insights into the population dynamics of marine species impacted by parasitic infection. Her research reveals that infected lantern fish had significantly lower body mass.
The project by Salusiwe Mxayiya from Luhlaza High School in Khayelitsha, 'Investigating the infection rates of Hector's lantern fish by the copepod parasite and the implications for population dynamics,' offers groundbreaking insights into the population dynamics of marine species impacted by parasitic infection.
Image: Supplied
Salusiwe has been collaborating with the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to advance her project.
'Being a part of a group that goes to represent South Africa in the Regeneron ISEF in the United States means that I get to be a part of something that is so significant, and I get to inspire other kids in my school and community. It is a dream come true for me and something to give pride to my country, family and school,' she said.
'I also think that it is important that people are knowledgeable about my project because parasitism is an important driver in biological communities, and being aware of its rules and impact in ecology can help us understand better and possibly mitigate any foreseeable dangers in the fish population dynamics and ecosystem. So, I am very excited to be part of this very small group and hope to represent my country to the best that I can.'
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Luhlaza High School principal Mutile Qezo, and the school staff expressed immense pride in Salusiwe's accomplishments, emphasising how her achievements reflect the potential of learners from low-income areas.
'We believe that she is destined for greater heights,' Qezo said.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Eskom Development Foundation, Mologadi Motshele said the Regeneron ISEF is a highly competitive science fair, renowned for showcasing cutting-edge projects.
'The inclusion of South African learners highlights the international caliber of local research. Eskom wishes the four participants the very best as they compete against top young scientists from around the world.'
Cape Times
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
Innovative strategies by South African researchers to combat gender-based violence
Nangipha Mnandi, a research technologist at the South African Medical Research Council's Gender and Health Research Unit. Image: Supplied South African researchers are driving innovation and shaping the future in combating the scourge of gender-based violence, with some of their work already informing the country's policy. These emerging researchers are with the South African Medical Research Council's (SAMRC) Gender and Health Research Unit (GHRU). Notably, they are all PhD candidates. Nangipha Mnandi, a research technologist, said that the Siyaphambili Youth Project and Stepping Stones Creating Futures+ (SSCF+), which he has worked on, are research initiatives aimed at benefiting young people in resource-strained communities who are at risk of intimate partner violence (IPV), poor mental health, substance misuse, and HIV acquisition driven by several contextual factors. 'Through understanding the relationship between these contextual drivers, we designed and developed a scalable intervention that will reduce IPV and poor mental health risk among young people and strengthen their agency in challenging contexts. The key challenge we encounter with implementing such a project is the structural challenges of poverty and unemployment, which are mostly beyond our control but largely influence or shape IPV and poor mental health outcomes in marginalised community settings,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Mnandi added that socio-structural challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and broader social hardships significantly influence the effectiveness of the interventions. 'Many young people face daily pressures to secure income or food for themselves and their families, which often takes precedence over attending scheduled sessions. Even though we strategically deliver interventions within communities to reduce barriers to access, attendance remains inconsistent. 'This is not due to a lack of interest or engagement, but rather the urgent need for participants to 'hustle' for survival. These realities highlight the importance of designing flexible, context-sensitive interventions that acknowledge and adapt to the lived experiences of the communities we serve,' Mnandi highlighted. He is currently working on the Zithandani (Couples) project, which aims to reduce violence in young heterosexual couples from urban informal settlements. 'Our data from the Siyaphambili Youth Project and Zithandani Project shows how poverty, violence, and masculine norms intersect to shape the poor mental health of young men. Our work reveals that while young women may experience higher rates of mental health challenges, however, young men are more likely to engage in substance misuse and suicide ideation, often as a result of unaddressed trauma and social expectations. 'The absence of fathers further compounds these issues, as many young men grow up without male role models in contexts shaped by apartheid and HIV/Aids. Young men's lived experiences are also likely driven by a desire to challenge harmful gender norms and promote healthier, more equitable masculinities,' Mnandi said. He added that two interlinked promising findings could be scaled up to other communities. 'First, the importance of engaging young people in a meaningful way in the development of projects and interventions. In both projects, we have worked hard to ensure young people are engaged. In SSCF+, we hired young people as Youth Peer Research Assistants (YPRAs) to co-create and deliver SSCF+, and this has emerged as a powerful strategy. 'This approach cultivates trust, ownership, and contextual relevance of the final intervention. Moreover, peer-facilitated community-based interventions can be very effective in improving health outcomes in communities with limited access to public healthcare services. Young people tend to be far more responsive to public health initiatives that involve their peers based in the same communities that they come from,' Mnandi said. Nonhlonipho Bhengu-Simelane, a senior research technologist at the South African Medical Research Council's Gender and Health Research Unit. Image: Supplied Nonhlonipho Bhengu-Simelane, a senior research technologist, said the Masibambane Ladies Chat, which she worked on, showed that digital platforms can increase access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) information and make peer support more reachable for young women. PrEP is a medicine that people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. 'One of the biggest lessons from the Masibambane Ladies Chat was that a gender-empowerment approach, delivered through an accessible platform like WhatsApp, can do far more than share information; it can shift mindsets. 'As facilitator and project coordinator, I saw how creating a safe, women-only space online encouraged honest conversations about HIV prevention, broke down stigma, and helped young women see PrEP as a personal choice they could own. The combination of peer recruitment, relatable content, and open dialogue built confidence, challenged harmful norms, and motivated women to take the next step towards protecting their health,' Bhengu-Simelane said. For the Ntombi Vimbela Study, she facilitated a sexual violence risk reduction programme for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, addressing mental health and resilience. Bhengu-Simelane said lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women need safe, identity-affirming spaces and trained providers. Group sessions built confidence, improved help-seeking, and highlighted gaps in mainstream services. She added that meaningful youth participation in every phase of the design, delivery, and evaluation is an important aspect. Zamakhoza Khoza, a research technologist at the South African Medical Research Council's Fedisa Modikologo Durban site. Image: Supplied Zamakhoza Khoza, a research technologist at SAMRC's Fedisa Modikologo Durban site, whose research engages young men incarcerated for sexual offences to understand their experiences, social contexts, and belief systems that led to their actions, said prevention and the eventual elimination of gender-based violence are impossible without tackling its root causes. She specialises in the rehabilitation and reintegration of male juvenile sexual offenders, and is running a SEED project within the GHRU. Khoza added that the Competitive Seed Funding Initiative is linked to her PhD, which focuses on co-developing a gender-transformative intervention for young men (18–25 years old) incarcerated in juvenile or youth correctional centres for sexual offences in South Africa. Valuable evidence over the past three decades has shaped the global understanding of GBV perpetrators, with much of this evidence being produced by the SAMRC's GHRU, she said. 'But for younger offenders, particularly those who enter the justice system and are incarcerated, there's still much we don't know. Most of the dominant theories in this area still come from the Global North; these theories may not capture the critical contextual, socio-cultural, and economic realities of the Global South. 'We need to incorporate local theories with the established theories from the Global North. We also need to broaden our lens beyond male perpetrators and heteronormative understanding, while recognising that the majority of offenders are male. Continued efforts should include research and prevention work with women and LGBTQIA+ perpetrators,' Khoza said. She added that correctional centre-based research demands careful navigation of trust, ethics, and power, which means ensuring participants don't feel further persecuted, while still holding space for accountability. Her long-term vision is for perpetrator-focused research and interventions to be recognised as a non-negotiable component of GBV prevention. Asiphe Ketelo, a project lead at the South African Medical Research Council's Gender and Health Research Unit. Image: Supplied Asiphe Ketelo, a project lead at the GHRU, who is dedicated to investigating gender-based violence (GBV), femicide, injury mortality, and male victimisation, said that during the Covid-19 period, there was a small but statistically significant increase in intimate partner femicide cases. 'Our 2020/21 study highlighted the critical role of alcohol in femicide risk during the pandemic. Periods of a complete alcohol sales ban saw a decrease in both overall femicides and intimate partner femicides, but once the bans were lifted, cases rose again. This 'natural experiment' demonstrated the substantial impact of alcohol on femicide rates and underscored the urgent need to address alcohol use in prevention efforts,' Ketelo said. Since 2020, Ketelo has contributed to high-impact studies, collecting data under the leadership of Professor Naeemah Abrahams on two national femicide surveys (2022, 2024), which have made significant contributions to national policy. Ketelo said the GHRU of the SAMRC has developed a Femicide Prevention Strategy, commissioned by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. 'This strategy draws on over three decades of GHRU research into gender-based violence and femicide. Although it has not yet been formally adopted, it has been presented at multiple government meetings, and we remain hopeful it will soon be implemented as a much-needed step toward reducing GBV and femicide in South Africa,' Ketelo said. Regarding her PhD research on women's use of violence against male partners, she said, as GBV researchers, in different spaces, they are often asked, 'What about men?'
IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
‘We must propel the voices of women in science' – Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation at UP Women in Science Symposium
Held under the theme 'Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science', the Deputy Minister described the event as both a tribute and a call to action to celebrate, empower and propel the voices of women in science towards a future that truly reflects the diversity, strength and potential of South Africa. Ms Gina was delivering the keynote address at the seventh annual Women in Science Symposium, hosted by the University of Pretoria (UP) at Future Africa, UP's pan-African platform for collaborative research. Despite notable progress in empowering and elevating South African women in science, Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Nomalungelo Gina has urged greater national commitment to spotlighting the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 'We must reflect on the strides we have made, acknowledge the work yet to be done, and commit ourselves to the determination required for real, lasting transformation,' she said. 'Women in South Africa are contributing groundbreaking research, setting global standards in health, environmental sciences, data and digital technologies, and many more fields. Yet we cannot ignore that women and girls remain underrepresented, especially at senior and strategic levels.' Ms Gina said UP's Women in Science platform is a crucial platform through which to celebrate the achievements of South African women in science, including those who conduct cutting-edge research, lead multidisciplinary teams, head institutions, and inspire thousands of students. Similarly, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation's South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) celebrates the outstanding achievements of women in STEM. UP Vice-Principal for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education Professor Sunil Maharaj applauded the phenomenal contributions and advancements that women have made in all areas of STEM. He acknowledged that these achievements were made in the face of many obstacles, with many more still to be overcome. UP is home to more than 2 932 academics and researchers, of whom 57% are women. UP has 447 professors, of whom 39% are women. Women currently account for 40% of UP's total of 570 National Research Foundation- rated researchers, and 50% of its South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) positions are held by women. 'Faced with a legacy of inequality, you have had to go all out to prove yourselves in what was, and in too many cases still is, a male-dominated world,' Prof Maharaj said. 'My heartfelt wish is that in the near future we can dispense with terms like 'male-dominated world' as a never-to-be-repeated anachronism. At UP, we are entirely committed to achieving gender equality and women's empowerment at all levels and in all fields.' Dr Rakeshnie Ramoutar-Prieschl, UP's Director of Internationalisation and Strategic Partnerships, said, 'We can do so much more together through empowered intergenerational dialogue that starts to interrupt, disrupt, and break the cycle of stereotypes and gender biases. We must ask ourselves the painful questions about our youth. Who gets to see themselves become scientists? And who gets left out before they even get a chance? These questions need answers and call for transformative and inclusive change that supports the empowerment of girls and women beyond their current place of being relegated to the fringes of the economy and society.
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
'See you later, alligator' gets new meaning in science
A parasitic flatworm found in the eye of an alligator is named after North-West University's Professor Louis Du Preez. Image: Supplied. The parasitic flatworm found in the eye of alligator in the US has been named after South African parasitologist, Professor Louis Du Preez. Image: Supplied. WHO said science was dull? Not when a newly discovered parasite is named with a wink to the classic slang, 'See you later, alligator.' After decades of poking crocodilians in the eye, South African parasitologist Prof Louis du Preez has been honoured for his work by having a parasite named after him: Latergator louisdupreezi. Du Preez, from North-West University, is a parasitologist and herpetologist who focuses his research on amphibians and their parasites. Chuckling this week, Du Preez told the Independent on Saturday that he was honoured that a team of US researchers named a parasitic flatworm, which was found in the eye of an alligator, after him. 'Other people will probably have pity for me, but for me it's a great honour.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'The reason for that was I've been working on this group of flatworms for more than 30 years now, and for 30 years I've been looking for this parasite on the eye of a crocodile, because we find this type of parasite on the eye of freshwater turtles and on the eye of the hippopotamus. And I've always suspected that one day we will find it in the eye of a crocodilian.' Crocodilians include crocodiles, alligators and gavials. Determined to prove his theory, Du Preez dissected crocodiles at crocodile farms in South Africa and examined animals that had been removed from nature. In the US, he dissected more than a hundred alligators looking for the parasite. He even swam with alligators for some of his research. 'So it's living on the surface of the eye and it's living off the mucus on the surface of the eye. It doesn't harm the crocodile at all, or the turtle or the hippo, but it may irritate them a little bit. So they are parasites because they live off another animal, but they don't kill the animal, they don't harm them. It is just evolutionary, a very old association that developed over a very long time, and so we use the parasites. By studying the phylogeny of the parasites we learn more about the hosts and how the hosts evolved and spread over the world.' For example, they established that some of the parasites from turtles in America jumped onto turtles in Europe, because people imported turtles from America, and scientists were able to trace the route back to the turtles from America. 'But this one now in the crocodile or in the alligator, that's a very first. And maybe one day we will find one in Africa, but there are no guarantees.' So what does this discovery mean for science? 'For us as parasitologists, it will provide quite a lot of information regarding the evolutionary development of these parasites. And I suspect that the parasite got transferred or migrated from a freshwater turtle to a crocodile. It's the same type of parasite. The turtles are evolutionarily way out, and the crocodile is a bit younger. And we will have to confirm at the molecular level.' In May next year, Du Preez will join the US researchers who named the parasite after him and, he hopes, find more of these parasites. 'There will be a crocodile culling event, or alligator cull, because there are too many of them in this part of America. And then they will allow us to have a look at the carcasses.' Du Preez previously named two parasites, one after his supervisor in Bloemfontein, another after a well-known professor in France, and another person in the US. 'Science is great and even today we find new things. And that's the beauty of science, it's that search for the unknown. And I hope that through my work and research that I inspire young people. And I try to, with the projects that we give students, to create opportunities for students to not only to enjoy but also to appreciate nature.'
