Dr Léanie Kleynhans-Cornelissen (31) knows how to optimise every minute of every day.

Many people might know her as a researcher with the Immunology Research Group in the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), but after a productive day at work, Kleynhans-Cornelissen changes into active gear and takes on the persona of agile strategist on the netball court. "When I get home in the evenings I'll have dinner, spend some time with my husband and then slide back in behind my computer."

She's been playing netball since school where she competed on provincial level. In 2007 she also represented South Africa in the Spar Protea squad. This year she captained the Western Cape Southern Stings that participated in the Brutal Fruit Premier League and currently also plays for the Cape Winelands and the Van der Stel Netball Club. Her position is wing attack (WA). "The Brutal Fruit Premier League is the netball equivalent of the Super Rugby competition," she explains. It's also the closest the sport has moved towards a professional level, as players usually don't get compensated for their participation and often has to pay their own way to compete in tournaments. "But we all still play because we enjoy it so much," says Kleynhans-Cornellisen.

She enjoys the technical aspects of the game most and says it allows her to engage another part of her brain.

"On the court I can be creative. You continually need to think of strategies to outwit your opponent and you need to pick up on their game plan."

She has to think on her feet in her day-job too: she acts as co-promoter for six postgraduate students, presents lectures for honours students and is involved in the management of the departmental laboratories. The part of her work that takes up the majority of her energy, and also something which piques her interest, is her research on the link between TB and diabetes under guidance of Dr Katharina Ronacher.

"You have to love what you do, whether it's your work, your hobby or your sport. If you don't enjoy it, it becomes an effort and you'll lack motivation," she says.

She believes in hard work in all spheres of her life. According to her it was her involvement in school sports that taught her dedication and how to manage her time to a T.

"I've always believed that the more I have to do, the more I get done." And that is the directive with which she still tackles every day.

Photo: Dr Léanie Kleynhans-Cornelissen (right) on the netball court.