North-West University (NWU) students Luciano Willemse, a PhD student in biochemistry, and Nadia Olivier, a PhD student in pharmacology, excelled in the virtual provincial FameLab competition held on 10 September.

Luciano’s presentation, titled “Evaluating the effect of a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (from fish oil) in a neurodegenerative mouse model”, explored the potential neuroprotective effects of certain dietary fats. Nadia’s talk focused on the limitations of current antidepressants, proposing new ways to approach mental health treatment by studying the hormone ghrelin, a subject central to her PhD research.

Both these students from the NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus are through to the national rounds of the competition, which takes place on 19 September.  The national FameLab competition will be live-streamed on the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) YouTube channel at 17:00, and the winner will represent South Africa in the FameLab International competition.

Luciano says his passion for improving science communication drove him to participate, despite the challenges of balancing the competition with his PhD workload.

Nadia believes that it is important to make complex scientific research accessible to the public, adding that FameLab has changed her approach to public engagement.

Both are eager to share their research on a broader platform and contribute to advancing public understanding of science. The NWU wishes them well and looks forward to their success.

Luciano Willemse and Nadia Olivier are ready to take on the national final of the FameLab competition.