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02 September 2020 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied
Dr Satyajit Tripathy
Dr Satyajit Tripathy, a postdoctoral fellow from the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, won the medal for the best oral performance at a UNESCO/UNITWIN network web seminar attended by more than 300 people from various institutions around the world.

A postdoctoral fellow in Pharmacology at the University of the Free State (UFS) was awarded a medal for the best oral e-poster presentation (Postdoctoral Fellow category) at a UNESCO/UNITWIN Network web seminar.

The two-day webinar with the theme Current concepts of Environmental Pollution by Electromagnetic field and Coronavirus was held in early August and was attended by more than 300 delegates from approximately 30 institutions from different countries.

Dr Satyajit Tripathy from the Department of Pharmacology won the medal for his outstanding research presentation on Employment of old options to control novel Coronavirus: Pros and Cons (authors: Barsha Dassarma, Satyajit Tripathy, MG Matsabisa). His presentations looked at immunotherapeutic techniques, such as the convalescent plasma (CP) therapy and possible diverse modes of action of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) against COVID-19 infection.

The award will serve as motivation

He was excited to hear that he had won the award, says Dr Tripathy.

“I never thought I would win, but I tried my best. On the topic of possible modes of action of HCQ against the viral infection, we have published in the ‘International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents’ (S Tripathy, B Dassarma, H Chabalala, S Roy, and MG Matsabisa / International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 56 (2020) 106028). All the authors are grateful to Prof Glen Taylor, Research Director at the UFS, and the UFS Department of Pharmacology, for giving us the opportunity,” says Dr Tripathy. 
According to him, receiving this award is a validation and boost to his confidence. “I am thankful to Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa (supervisor) and Dr Barsha Dassarma (my wife), who are also contributing actively to this project. Moreover, the award is a symbol of respect for my work and the acceptance of a greater responsibility to keep the UFS flag flying high.”
Dr Tripathy goes further to say that it will motivate him to work on HCQ or nano-HCQ delivery research on Coronaviruses. In his doctoral study, it has been found that chitosan-based nanochloroquine delivery increases antimalarial efficacy against rodent parasites. Against the Coronavirus, this type of approach might work to reduce the dose and increase the efficacy of HCQ, explains Dr Tripathy. 

Immediate saviour from the pandemic

In his presentation, Dr Tripathy argues that while the world is finding expedited approvals for the development of vaccines that are time-dependent, preventative, and possibly not a cure, physicians are considering the convalescent plasma (CP) therapy as an immediate saviour, and the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as therapeutic options against COVID-19 infection, after assessing results from larger prospective, randomised, dose-determining controlled clinical trials. 
He concludes that, “Overall, in this situation of unavailability of specific medication, the CP therapy and HCQ treatment might act as an immediate saviour for society from the pandemic.”

News Archive

Learning to serve, serving to learn
2013-10-18

 

At the Community Engagement Open Day were, at the back, from the left: Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations; and Rev Billyboy Ramahlele, Director of Community Engagement. In front are, from the left: Selby Lengoabala, Betlehem Unit Manager; Councillor Job Tshabalala, Acting Executive Mayor; and Councillor Isaac Tshabalala, Strategic Manager in the office of the Executive Mayor of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality.
18 October 2013

The university held its first Community Engagement Open Day in order to honour outstanding individuals and highlight programmes that advance its civil responsibility. Hosted by the UFS Community Engagement Directorate, local community members, students and staff gathered in the Callie Human Centre at the Bloemfontein Campus, displaying what they do to empower communities.

Partners in Community Engagement (CE) and Service Learning (SL), local government, community-based research, student volunteer groups, Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) and private business interacted with guests at their various information stalls. Faculties and departments displayed their distinctive programmes and demonstrated a renewed commitment to change lives through sharing knowledge, rendering services and fostering empowerment among communities.

In recognition of outstanding service, commitment and excellence in the field of community engagement and service learning, some staff members, researchers and some partners received the Vice-Rector’s Award for Community Engagement. Among them was Prof Matie Hoffman, who was honoured for his longstanding involvement in research at the Boyden Observatory. He is currently at the forefront of renovations for the planetarium at Naval Hill. In the category for external partners, REACH and Heidedal Childcare were awarded for demonstrating commitment towards their partnership with the university. The acting Executive Mayor, Job Tshabalala, also received an award on behalf of Dihlabeng Local Municipality Mayor, Tjhetane Mofokeng, for their involvement in education and social cohesion programmes. During his keynote address, the Director of Community Engagement, Rev Billyboy Ramahlele, emphasised the contribution that community engagement has on the two major strategic programmes of the university, namely the Academic and Human Projects. He pointed out that CE creates a platform on which students learn to appreciate human diversity in a real and unprotected set-up.

The interactions of the Open Day are expected to raise awareness, cultivate understanding among partners, encourage solid alliances and bring to the fore an acknowledgement of community engagement as the integral part of higher education.

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