South Africa: UCT Celebrates Nine 'Science Oscars' Finalists

11 June 2026
University of Cape Town (Cape Town)

The University of Cape Town's (UCT) vice-chancellor, Professor Mosa Moshabela, has congratulated nine UCT academics and research teams who were named among a list of finalists in the 2025/2026 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Awards.

Widely regarded as South Africa's "Science Oscars", the NSTF-South32 Awards recognise excellence in science, engineering, technology and innovation. The awards honour outstanding contributions by researchers, innovators, science communicators, data specialists and research leaders whose work is shaping South Africa's future and advancing global knowledge.

Professor Moshabela said this year's finalists underscore UCT's unwavering commitment to research excellence, innovation with impact and the pursuit of solutions to some of society's most pressing challenges.

"This remarkable achievement ... is certainly worth celebrating."

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"This remarkable achievement by some of its brightest minds, whose work spans health sciences, engineering, sport science, astronomy, biodiversity, data stewardship and social policy - is certainly worth celebrating by the UCT community," Moshabela said in a communication to the university community.

The finalists are:

Professor Elena Moore from the Department of Sociology is a finalist in the Special Annual Theme Award: Health aging category. The selection recognises her contribution in revealing the hidden burden of family elder care in South Africa and turning real-life, longitudinal evidence into practical policy solutions that promote fairer support and dignified ageing.

Professor Jonathan Peter, the head of the Allergy and Immunology Unit at the Lung Institute, is a finalist in the TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher Award category. The selection recognises his contribution to transforming diagnosis and care of immune-mediated disease in Africa through policy-changing, Africa-relevant allergy science.

Professor Laura Heathfield, the head of the Biomedical Forensic Science Unit, is a finalist in the TW Kambule-NSTF Emerging Researcher Award category. The selection recognises her work in uncovering hidden genetic causes of unexplained infant deaths and the development of Africa's first molecular autopsy assay to give families answers to help prevent future loss.

Professor Rob Simmonds, the technical lead at Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA), along with his team at CARTA, is a finalist in the New Research Software category. It recognises their contribution to visualising and analysing massive radio astronomy datasets - enabling scientists worldwide to explore the universe in unprecedented detail.

Dr Sharief Hendricks is a senior lecturer in the Department of Human Biology. He is a finalist in the TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher Award. The selection recognises his work with key national and international stakeholders in sport on research that drives policy change and practice to enhance athlete welfare and safety.

Dr Simthembile Dlamini, an early-career researcher and postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Astronomy, is a finalist in the Research Software category. The selection recognises his efforts to develop a software pipeline that predicts how precisely future cosmic surveys will measure fundamental properties of the universe before observations begin.

Professor Sudesh Sivarasu, the head of UCT MedTech, has been recognised in multiple categories for his contribution to closing the gap between African clinical need and globally competitive medical device technology. The award categories include the TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher Award; Management Award; Engineering Research Capacity Development Award; Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation; and Communication Award.

Associate Professor Shakti Pillay from the Department of Neonatology in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health is a finalist in the Research Software category. The selection recognises her efforts in creating research software that strengthens neonatal healthcare and specialist training.

Thandokazi Maceba, a data curation officer: Digital Scholarship Services in UCT Libraries, has been shortlisted in the Data for Research Award category. The selection recognises her work advocating for the advancement of open science in Africa by providing trusted, innovative platforms that make UCT's research and cultural heritage openly accessible, reusable and globally viable.

In his congratulatory message, Moshabela said the university community is proud of the group of academics and research teams, adding that their work continues to push the boundaries of knowledge. He said being named among the list of finalists also speaks volumes of their work and that of UCT.

"Their recognition among the finalists affirms the quality, relevance and impact of research at UCT. This reflects not only individual excellence but also the collaborative spirit, innovation and public purpose that define our university," he said.

Read the original article on UCT.

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