Dr Kessendri Reddy, a clinical microbiologist with a strong commitment to improving patient care, has been awarded the prestigious Professor Bongani Mayosi Netcare Scholarship, which enables recipients to complete their PhD full-time over three years.

A senior lecturer and pathologist in the Divisions of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Reddy is among a select group of South African clinician-scientists recognised for their potential to advance research in key areas of healthcare. The scholarship honours the legacy of the late Professor Bongani Mayosi of the University of Cape Town (UCT), a revered teacher and leader whose work championed equity in healthcare. The award aims to create opportunities for deserving medical practitioners to deepen their specialist training and research.

Reddy described the scholarship as life-changing. “Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious threats to global health, and sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden. We urgently need ways to ensure antibiotics are used appropriately, which may reduce the emergence of resistance and allow us to preserve these agents for future generations,” she said.

Through her PhD research, Reddy aims to optimise antimicrobial use in clinical settings and strengthen infection prevention and control practices to limit the transmission of infections in hospital wards. “This work is about conserving a precious resource while simultaneously improving patient outcomes. It is also a step towards laying the foundation for personalised microbiology in specific patient groups,” she explained.

Like many clinician-scientists, Reddy has faced significant challenges on the road to doctoral study. “Time is arguably the scarcest resource for clinicians who are also expected to contribute academically,” she said. “This award gives me the rare opportunity to pursue my PhD with my full attention and energy over three years. The professional and personal impact is immeasurable.”

Paying tribute to the scholarship’s namesake, Reddy said Professor Mayosi was a profound inspiration. “He was a rare individual who combined exceptional academic excellence with humility and a deep sense of purpose. To be chosen for an award that carries his name is an immense honour.”

Reddy is one of two Stellenbosch University (SU) candidates to receive the scholarship this year. The other recipient is Dr Kamlin Ekambaram, an emergency medicine specialist whose PhD work bridges medicine and engineering.

Ekambaram’s doctoral research is based in Biomedical Engineering through SU’s Faculty of Engineering and focuses on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS). His work aims to improve access to essential diagnostic information, particularly in resource-limited settings where specialist expertise and equipment are often scarce.

An honorary lecturer in the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Ekambaram recently worked at Port Shepstone Regional Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. His research draws on years of frontline experience in emergency departments, where rapid, accurate diagnosis can be lifesaving but is frequently constrained by limited resources.

“My PhD aims to use uncertainty-aware machine learning models to assist with bedside cardiac ultrasound interpretation,” he said. “This means non-specialists, with minimal training and using portable devices, could obtain essential information about heart structure and function to guide clinical decision-making.”

Ekambaram explained that his motivation stemmed from the limits of traditional clinical practice. “In emergency medicine, you often help one patient at a time, while many others lack access to basic diagnostic tools that could change their outcomes,” he said. “AI-assisted systems have the potential to extend expertise beyond specialists and improve care for many more patients simultaneously.”

Receiving the Professor Bongani Mayosi Netcare Scholarship, he said, was deeply meaningful. “It affirms the value of my work and, importantly, gives me time — time to improve both its quality and its reach,” he said. “Professor Mayosi was one of my mentors at UCT, and to pursue a project aligned with his commitment to community cardiology is incredibly special. I believe this work would have made him proud.”