Staff Directory

Dr Herkulaas Combrink
Position
Senior Lecturer
Department
Office of the Dean: Economic and Management Sciences
Address
Office of the Dean
Faculty of EMS
IB 13
UFS
Telephone
0514017408
Office
Flippie Groenewoud Building: Block A
Information

Short CV

 

I work in research studies related to analytics, financial and health intelligence. This includes projects that integrate data sharing, synthetic data, data science and Machine Learning, (Deep Learning, Data Science, Data Sharing, Data Management, Reinforcement Learning and theories through Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithms). This forms part of the Data Science for Social Impact movement by encouraging the engagement on local challenges as a catalyst for innovative solutions across all fields in Healthcare and analytics. By trade and profession, I am a medical biological scientist with more than ten years data science experience with big data related to institutional databases, data sharing, synthetic data generation, and data management. Over the past seven years, I have applied this in both Healthcare and industry. During this time I have won several awards for my work in Data Science, Data management and Healthcare including the Best Junior Researcher Award (from the Free State Department of Health for the creation of a novel laboratory test), Best institutional presentation (From the South African Association for Institutional Research for the Lydia Algorithm), Winner of the Medical Faculty forum for best laboratory paper (From the University of the Free State Medical Faculty Forum for HRMA optimization related to BRCA testing). During the COVID-19 outbreak in the Free State, I was seconded to assist the Free State Department of Health, National Department of Health, Centre for Disease Control, and World Health Organization in data science and surveillance support. This translated into a partnership with several organisations of which I am the strategic data lead for the projects. My experience and qualifications position me strategically to understand the depth of the analytics, architecture, context, data management and analysis related to data engineering in these domains for the African context.

 

 

Publications

  • Merwe, N., Combrink, H., Ntaita, K., & Oosthuizen, J. (2022). Prevalence of clinically relevant germline BRCA variants in a large unselected South African breast and ovarian cancer cohort: A public sector experience. Frontiers in genetics, 13, 834265.
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  • Combrink, H., Oosthuizen, J., Visser, B., Chabilal, N., Buccimazza, I., Foulkes, W., & Merwe, N. (2021). Mutations in BRCA-related breast and ovarian cancer in the South African Indian population: a descriptive study. Cancer Genetics, 258, 1–6.
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  • MARIVATE, V., NSOESIE, E., & COMBRINK, H. (2020). 16. AFRICA`S RESPONSES TO COVID-19: AN EARLY DATA SCIENCE VIEW. COVID-19 FROM THE MARGINS, 110.
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  • Broadbent, A., Combrink, H., & Smart, B. (2020). COVID-19 in South Africa. Global Epidemiology, 2, 100034.
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  • Bayani, D., Krubiner, C., Barasa, E., Biribawa, C., Broadbent, A., Casas, L., Chalkidou, K., Chi, Y.L., Combrink, H., Denis, O., & others (2021). The indirect health effects of COVID-19: emerging findings from Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, and Uganda
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  • Jassat, W., Cohen, C., Tempia, S., Masha, M., Goldstein, S., Kufa, T., Murangandi, P., Savulescu, D., Walaza, S., Bam, J.L., & others (2021). Risk factors for COVID-19-related in-hospital mortality in a high HIV and tuberculosis prevalence setting in South Africa: a cohort study. The Lancet HIV, 8(9), e554–e567.
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  • Marivate, V., Arbi, R., Combrink, H., Waal, A., Dryza, H., Egersdorfer, D., Garnett, S., Gordon, B., Greyling, L., Lebogo, O., & others (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case data-South Africa
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  • Smart, B., Combrink, H., Broadbent, A., & Streicher, P. (2021). Direct and indirect health effects of lockdown in South Africa
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  • Merwe, N., Ntaita, K., Stofberg, H., Combrink, H., Oosthuizen, J., & Kotze, M. (2022). Implementation of multigene panel testing for breast and ovarian cancer in South Africa: a step towards excellence in oncology for the public sector. Frontiers in Oncology, 12, 938561.
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  • Combrink, H., Marivate, V., & Rosman, B. (2022). Reinforcement learning in education: A multi-armed bandit approach. In International Conference on Emerging Technologies for Developing Countries (pp. 3–16).
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  • Smart, B., Broadbent, A., & Combrink, H. (2020). Lockdown didn’t work in South Africa: why it shouldn’t happen again. The Conversation.
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  • Jassat, W., Mudara, C., Ozougwu, L., Tempia, S., Blumberg, L., Davies, M.A., Pillay, Y., Carter, T., Morewane, R., Wolmarans, M., & others (2021). Difference in mortality among individuals admitted to hospital with COVID-19 during the first and second waves in South Africa: a cohort study. The Lancet Global Health, 9(9), e1216–e1225.
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  • Combrink, H. (2016). Molecular screening of the South African Indian population for BRCA1 and BRCA2 using high resolution melting analysis. (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Free State).
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  • Marivate, V., & Combrink, H. (2020). Use of available data to inform the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa: a case study. arXiv preprint arXiv:2004.04813.
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  • Combrink, H., Marivate, V., & Masikisiki, B. (2023). Technology-Enhanced Learning, Data Sharing, and Machine Learning Challenges in South African Education. Education Sciences, 13(5), 438.
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  • Combrink, H., Knedlik, T., Nour, S., Schuerkens, U., De Wet, K., & Wohlmuth, K.. (2023). Business Opportunities, Start-Ups, and Digital Transformation in Africa.
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  • Milan, S., Trere, E., & Masiero, S. (2021). COVID-19 from the Margins. Pandemic invisibilities, policies and resistance in the datafied society. (Vol. 40) Institute of Network Cultures.
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  • Herkulaas, M., & Oosthuizen, L. (2020). First-year student transition at the University of the Free State during Covid-19: Challenges and insights. Journal of Student Affairs in Africa, 8(2), 31–44.
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  • Van Zyl, A. (2017). The first year experience in higher education in South Africa: A good practices guide. Fundani Centre for Higher Education and Training, Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
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  • Starita, L., Islam, M., Fields, S., Parvin, J., & Shendure, J. (2016). Proffered papers and posters presented at the Sixth International Symposium on Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer-BRCA: challenges and opportunities. Curr Oncol, 23, e284–319.

 


Area(s) of Interest

  •  
  • Infodemiology
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Data Science
  • Systemic intervention

Courses Presented

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  • EDAB2714
  • EDAB2724
  • EDAB6808
  • EDAR6800
  • EADM6824

Community Service

  •  
  • Member of the South African Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Group in the National Department of Health
  • Part of the Presidential Health Compact and Health Strategy for RCCE 
  • Collaboration with Department of Sport Arts and Culture on Human Language Technology Development

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