Professor Kogie Naidoo is elected to the Academy of Science of South Africa
Professor Kogie Naidoo Deputy Director CAPRISA was inaugurated a newly elected Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) at the Annual Awards Ceremony held on 19th October in Pretoria. New members are elected for ‘significant achievement in the pursuit, advancement or application of science’. ‘As the official Academy of South Africa, ASSAf has as its core function to honour the country’s most outstanding scholars by electing them to the Membership of the Academy’.
Naidoo’s contribution to HIV and TB treatment spans two decades. She was a lead investigator in several Phase II and III TB-HIV and drug resistant -TB treatment trials and was the lead investigator in CAPRISA’s clinical studies aimed at optimizing treatment strategies for TB-HIV co-infected patients. Most notably she led the CAPRISA SAPiT trial, which served as the basis for TB-HIV treatment integration guidance incorporated into several international and in-country guidelines including WHO guidelines.
Professor Naidoo was the keynote speaker at a High Tea celebrating Women in STEM hosted by the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on 14 October. The event aimed at inspiring and motivating UKZN’s top 100 female STEM students to stay and thrive in their chosen STEM careers. Naidoo related the story of her own personal and professional journey in STEM, from humble beginnings to leading a global hub for HIV and TB treatment and prevention. She encouraged the girls to overcome obstacles, follow their passion and commit to studying towards a career that they loved and that would enthral them for the rest of their lives. The event was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson under the WiSTEM2D initiative