University of Cape Town

Professor Linda-Gail Bekker is a physician-scientist with a keen interest in HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and related diseases. Her research interests include programmatic and health service research around antiretroviral roll-out and TB integration and the prevention of HIV in women. She is passionate about community development and engagement and is both deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and chief operating officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation.

Maboletso Letsoalo is currently a master’s student in computational health informatics, with an academic foundation in human physiology, genetics, psychology (BSc, University of Pretoria) and bioinformatics (BMedSc Hons, University of Cape Town). Her primary research interest lies in multi-omics research, a rapidly evolving approach that leverages diverse biological data types to drive novel discoveries, enhance diagnostic precision, and address urgent clinical needs.

Takalani Makhwathana is a fourth-year MBChB student at the University of Cape Town, with a strong academic interest in public health, preventative medicine, and rural healthcare. Driven by a commitment to health equity, Takalani’s long-term goal is to contribute to public health research that addresses the root causes of illness and helps shift the healthcare system’s focus from curative to preventative care, particularly within underserved communities.