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18 March 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs
Famelab
Abdullahi Jamiu, who is working on his master's degree in Microbiology, was adjudicated as the FameLab winner at the Central Regional Heat and will represent the region at the national semi-finals.

Abdullahi Jamiu, who is working on his master's degree in Microbiology in the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS), was recently announced as the FameLab winner at the Central Regional Heat and will represent the region at the national semi-finals.

Abdullahi, who plans on pursuing a doctoral degree after his master’s, says he wants to establish himself as an academic in microbiology.

Making science simple
He says he decided to participate in the FameLab competition because he is very passionate about communicating science. “Science communication affords me the opportunity to not only take my research outside of the lab space, but also to communicate it to the lay audience. Moreover, science is often perceived by the general public as difficult and unfathomable. As such, science communication programmes promote the simplification and better understanding of scientific knowledge in the community,” he says.

FameLab is coordinated by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement, the British Council, and Jive Media Africa.

According to Abdullahi, the experience was mind-blowing. “It gave me the opportunity to compress my 200-page master's thesis into a three-minute talk in a way I had never thought was possible. Having to present virtually and adjust to the ‘new normal’ was quite challenging,” he adds.

“The overall experience was enlightening and engaging, and at the same time entertaining,” says Abdullahi.

Impressing the judges with his charisma, engagement with the audience, and use of props, Abdullahi’s presentation focused on how the exploration and exploitation of a ‘combination therapy’ approach to drug discovery could help to effectively combat fungal infections, which are the common comorbidities in immune-compromised individuals, including those living with HIV, cancer, and COVID-19.

Revealing an enigma
His fascination with microbiology started at a young age. “How very tiny, microscopic creatures, invisible to the unaided eye, are able to infect and sometimes kill both healthy and immune-compromised individuals, was an enigma to me as a little boy. My desire to unravel this mystery triggered my interest in microbiology, and the more I learn, the more enthusiastic I become to broaden my horizon in this challenging yet exciting field of study,” he says.

Abdullahi would like to one day make a difference by conducting relevant research aimed at contributing to finding lasting solutions to the lingering menace posed by pathogenic microbes. “Moreover, I am very passionate about facilitating the transfer of scientific knowledge to the next generation,” Abdullahi concludes.

News Archive

Four Kovsies play in the Chile/Belgium series
2015-02-10

Nicole Walraven, Lethabo Maebana (SRC: Media and Marketing), Tanya Britz, Kerry-beth Berry (SRC: Day- and Commuting Students), Cornelle Botha, Liné Malan, and Dominique De Gouveia (SRC: Sport)

Tanya Britz, Nicole Walraven, Cormelle Botha, and Liné Malan turned out for the Protea hockey team in the two series against Chile and Belgium in Cape Town from 22 January to 2 February.

Britz has been playing for the senior Protea team since her matric year at Sentraal High School, but for Walraven, Botha, and Malan this series marked their debut for the senior national hockey team. The series against Chile and Belgium both ended in draws for the Protea women’s team.

Shortly before the end of the series against Belgium, the three Kovsies making their debut for the senior national hockey team had the following to say to the Volksblad:

“It was unbelievably inspiring to stand next to these incredible players wearing the Green and Gold and to sing the national anthem in front of a home crowd. It was worth all the hard work and dedication. The support and acceptance of my team mates helped calm my nerves when the whistle blew. It was such an honour – it still feels like a dream. (Nicole Walraven)

“It is an indescribable feeling, something that I dreamt about for years. The nerves niggled before the game, but it was such a huge privilege and honour to play in the Protea colours.” (Cornelle Botha)

“It’s difficult to describe the feeling a person experiences when you sing the national anthem wearing the Green and Gold. It was a feeling of pride; the accompanying excitement felt as if I had a thousand butterflies in my stomach. It’s a moment I shall never forget and a dream come true.” (Liné Malan)

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