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Nuclear Medicine
Smiling proudly are Dr Gerrit Engelbrecht, Head of the UFS Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dr Tebatso Tebeila, senior resident in the same department, and Prof Osayande Evbuomwan, Senior Lecturer and medical specialist in nuclear medicine in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, with the certificate indicating they are now a Clinical Theranostics Centre of Excellence.

The Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Universitas Academic Hospital (UAH) and the University of the Free State (UFS) have been certified as Clinical Theranostics Centers of Excellence from the International Centers for Precision Oncology Foundation (ICPO). The hospital now joins only two other centres in South Africa to achieve this prestigious recognition.

The certification followed a rigorous evaluation process by the ICPO Foundation, which assessed the department’s clinical standards, infrastructure, expertise, and commitment to advancing theranostics. The application and verification process was done by Dr Tebatso Tebeila, a senior resident at the department who has just passed her final exams. She was supported by Dr Gerrit Engelbrecht, Head of the UFS Department of Nuclear Medicine, in the process which included interviews with the ICPO accreditation and projects director Dr Marwa Hakkam. Dr Tebeila had also completed the ICPO short course in Radiomolecular Precision Oncology through the ICPO Academy of Theranostics.

The UAH Nuclear Medicine Department began theranostics activities about five years ago, particularly in neuroendocrine and prostate malignancies. Prof Osayande Evbuomwan, Senior Lecturer and medical specialist in nuclear medicine in the UFS Department of Nuclear Medicine, received training for this during his residency period and had completed a rigorous international training workshop organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency on theranostics, particularly in prostate cancer, neuroendocrine neoplasms and well differentiated thyroid cancer. Prof Evbuomwan passed all these training and skills down to the department. The certification was further strengthened by the installation of department’s new state-of-the-art digital PET/CT camera, placing it on par with similar academic departments in the country. The recognition was officially conferred during the ICPO Reception at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Congress in Barcelona earlier this month.  

 

A milestone achievement

“Being granted this certification signifies international recognition of our hospital’s commitment to the highest clinical, academic, and ethical standards in theranostics. It confirms that our institution meets the global benchmarks for delivering precision oncology care that integrates diagnostics and therapy for personalised cancer management.

“For our department and the University of the Free State, this is a milestone achievement that highlights our leadership in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. It strengthens our research and training capacity and also attracts residents who want to be trained in nuclear medicine. It also enhances collaboration with international partners and aligns with our mission to advance precision medicine in South Africa and beyond,” says Prof Evbuomwan.

Theranostics, he explains, is an aspect of nuclear medicine that involves the use of a tracer bound to a radioisotope that can specifically locate and image cancer cells with high precision, characterise them and determine how much radiation will get to them. Using the same tracer, but a different radioisotope for therapy, these cancer cells are targeted with high precision and destroyed. It could be so precise that it targets only the cancer, sparing most of the normal tissue and thus resulting in less serious side effects. It is an aspect of nuclear medicine that is bound to revolutionise cancer care.

Dr Gerrit Engelbrecht says as a department, they are honoured and deeply proud of this achievement as it reflects months of dedication, innovation, and teamwork. “It validates our commitment to excellence in improving patient care and academic advancement, and we are motivated to build on this success. We are also grateful to Dr Tebeila for her initiative, hard work, dedication and networking skills.

“We would like to thank the ICPO Foundation for this recognition and for its continued efforts to support theranostics in developing regions. We also acknowledge the hard work of our staff, and partners who made this possible. This milestone inspires us to continue driving innovation and equitable access to precision oncology in Bloemfontein, the Free State province and South Africa at large.”

 

Forefront of precision oncology 

According to Prof Evbuomwan, patients will also benefit from this certification as it translates to improved access to world-class, and evidence-based theranostic management. It means earlier diagnosis, more accurate therapy selection, and ultimately, better treatment outcomes and quality of life for those with some of these cancers. They strongly believe the patients in the Free State also deserve access to this management, as the world is now moving slowly into the era of personalised and precision medicine. The Universitas Academic Hospital is now among three centres in South Africa (Numeri in SBAH Pretoria and Umhlanga Molecular Imaging and Therapy Centre in Durban) to achieve this prestigious recognition, joining an international network of 46 centres, mostly located in low- and middle-income countries. This positions the UFS at the forefront of precision oncology on the African continent.

Prof Evbuomwan says they hope to use this new status to expand patient access to theranostic treatments, foster multidisciplinary collaborations within the Universitas academic circuit, and participate in global research initiatives through the ICPO Academy for Theranostics. Certifications like this, he continues, would also help to attract more staff and junior resident doctors to the facility. It will also help them train the next generation of nuclear medicine specialists and strengthen South Africa’s role in precision oncology. The ICPO will also offer direct assistance to the facility to achieve these objectives.

On her trip to the EANM Congress in Barcelona to receive the certificate and to attend the international congress, Dr Tebeila said it is always such an honour to attend international conferences and this year’s EANM was particularly invigorating with the latest scientific presentations in various theranostic applications by peers and well-known experts in the global nuclear medicine sphere. 

“The highlight was, of course, attending the annual Oncidium Foundation Ambassadors meeting and being part of the ICPO certification ceremony along with my counterparts from 23 other centres spanning Asia, Arab regions and Africa. 

“My wish is to see the UAH nuclear medicine department grow in leaps and bounds, epically in patient reach, clinical research with academic expansion and overall excellence in service delivery. This ICPO theranostics centre of excellence certification is only the beginning of what is to come.”

News Archive

Inauguration of Prof Francis Petersen as 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS
2017-05-23

Description: Prof Petersen Inauguration Charl Devenish photo Tags: Prof Petersen Inauguration Charl Devenish photo

Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Charl Devenish

“At the UFS, we want to produce graduates for the world, and we need to ensure that we use our knowledge to uplift society”
— Prof Francis Petersen, 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS)

On Friday 19 May 2017, the University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated the inauguration of its 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Francis Petersen. The formal inauguration was held in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus. The ceremony was preceded by a week-long welcoming programme on the three UFS campuses.

The guest list included representatives from local and provincial government, vice-chancellors and rectors from across South Africa, and senior members of the university’s executive management.

During the inaugural address, Prof Petersen paid tribute to his predecessors for the role they played in making the university what it is today. This included former rectors and vice-chancellors who attended the ceremony, such as Prof Francois Retief and Prof Frederick Fourie, and Prof Stef Coetzee and Prof Jonathan Jansen who were unable to attend.

Prof Petersen characterised 2015 and 2016 as watershed years for the South African higher-education system. “The Rhodes Must Fall, and subsequent Fees Must Fall student and staff protests challenged us, and re-energised a critical engagement around the purpose of the university in an equal society, both as a site of complicity and as a potential agent for social change,” said Prof Petersen.

He committed himself to developing the UFS into an institution that will have an even greater impact than before.

“This institution I am striving to establish will be one that responds positively to inclusivity, diversity, and transformation, and which can incorporate these values into our curriculum, scholarship, and research in a productive way,” said Prof Petersen.

Prof Petersen emphasised the importance of the three-campus model. “The University of the Free State is ONE university with three campuses: the Bloemfontein Campus, our South Campus, and the Qwaqwa Campus. I am committed to align the activities of the three campuses, and to integrate our activities to a greater extent.

“We must work together to infuse each campus with the values we have identified as essential if we are to make our mark as a united University of the Free State: academic excellence, diversity and inclusivity, and innovation.”

The Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, had the honour of handing over the gown to Prof Petersen. Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic, explained the relationship between the university and the Basotho people, and how this relationship is honoured through the official procession gowns of the UFS. The Basotho blanket is worn by kings, and the university therefore hopes that the symbolism of the gown would be a source of inspiration to Prof Petersen.

The event was concluded by congratulatory messages from former colleagues and the President of the Student Representative Council on the Bloemfontein Campus, SK Luwaca. The event was elegant and graceful – the inaugural address was thought-provoking and inspiring.

 

Official Inauguration Ceremony:

19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

 Description: Official Inauguration photo small Tags: Official Inauguration photo small


"I challenge you to dream big and do big." - Prof Petersen

 

Photo Caption: Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Johan Roux

Short biography of Prof Francis Petersen
Inaugural address: 19 May 2017
Transcription of the ceremony
Photo Gallery
Video

 

Welcoming Ceremonies:

The week of 11-19 May 2017 was one of the highlights in this year’s calendar for staff and students of the University of the Free State (UFS), with various ceremonies taking place to welcome Prof Francis Petersen – who assumed his duties on 1 April 2017 – as the 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector. The festivities culminated in the official inauguration ceremony at the Bloemfontein Campus on 19 May 2017.
 
The Qwaqwa Campus welcoming ceremony took place on Thursday 11 May 2017, attracting a wide spectrum of community leaders from the area. Prof Petersen was welcomed by representatives from the two trade unions, National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and UVPERSU, as well as representatives from the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District, and the House of Traditional Leaders. Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House bestowed a special honour upon Prof Petersen by clothing him in a traditional Basotho blanket and hat. She said, "From our heart of hearts, welcome, Prof Francis ..., and all Godspeed during your tenure."
 
The South Campus in Bloemfontein hosted a welcoming ceremony for the new Vice-Chancellor and Rector on 18 May 2017. The ceremony included a number of vocal performances and messages from various stakeholder groups. The same afternoon, the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) also facilitated a panel discussion, titled Diversity, inclusivity, and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation, in the Albert Wessels Auditorium (AWO) on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The welcoming ceremonies culminated in an event in the Callie Human Centre on Friday 19 May 2017 at the Bloemfontein Campus, with a number of performances by musicians associated with the UFS, marimbas, drum majorettes from Jim Fouche Secondary School, the Grey College Gumboots, and school choirs from Eunice Secondary School, Brebner Primary School, and Willem Postma Primary School. Representatives from key stakeholders such as Nehawu, UVPERSU, the Campus Ministries Forum, SRC, Alumni, Convocation, and the UFS Council had the opportunity to convey their messages of welcome to Prof Petersen.
 
The formal inauguration ceremony took place in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus the same day.

 

Qwaqwa Campus ceremony:

11 May 2017
Qwaqwa Campus

 Description: Prof Petersen with the queen 2 Tags: Prof Petersen with the queen 2

 

"Qwaqwa Campus is the perfect laboratory for sustainable sciences.” – Prof Petersen

 

Photo caption: Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House with Prof Petersen and his wife, Cheslyn.
Photo: Mamosa Makaya

Photo Gallery
Video

Read the full story
Transcription of the ceremony

 

South Campus ceremony:

18 May 2017
South Campus

 Description: South Campus welcoming Tags: South Campus welcoming

 

"South Campus: you aspire excellence, adding to diversity and you are innovative in what you do." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Flag bearers and drummers walking to the Madiba Arena.
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

Photo Gallery

Read the full story
Transcription of the ceremony

 

 

Bloemfontein Campus panel discussion:

Panel discussion: Diversity, inclusivity and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation
18 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

 Description: Panel discussion 18 May 2017 Tags: Panel discussion 18 May 2017


"The UFS should be a place of belonging for everyone." - Prof Petersen

 

Photo caption: from left: SK Luwaca (SRC President, Bloemfontein Campus), Prof Elelwani Ramugondo (UCT), Prof Francis Petersen (UFS), Prof Melissa Steyn (WITS), Prof Andre Keet (UFS)
Photo: Lelanie de Wet

Photo Gallery

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Transcription of panel discussion



 

Bloemfontein Campus ceremony:

19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

 Description: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017 Tags: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017


"I can just say, Wow! I've experienced a lot during the welcoming functions on all three campuses." - Prof Petersen

 

Photo caption: Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

Photo Gallery

Read the full story
Transcription of the ceremony


 

 

Description: Inauguration and welcoming of Prof Petersen combined gallery Tags: Inauguration and welcoming of Prof Petersen combined gallery

Photo gallery of Inauguration and Welcoming Ceremonies

 

 

 

 

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