UCT Professor awarded prestigious 2018 Woman in Science Laureate
Jane had the opportunity to chat with Professor Heather Zar, who recently won an award for her remarkable work in Tuberculosis and Pneumonia.
I cannot tell you what a delight it was to have spent time chatting with Professor Heather Zar, a woman who is so dedicated to the wellness of children, specialising in respiratory illness such as Tuberculosis and Pneumonia.
Heather was awarded the 2018 L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Laureate for Africa and the Arab States for her amazing work in helping to save the lives of young children across the world. She is one of just five women to be given this honour on a yearly basis.
According to the For Women in Science website, the program aims to honour women in research who have made strides in the work they have done and to showcase them to aspiring women who wish to enter the field of science.
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If you're a parent with a child who has asthma, you will know that it's nearly impossible for them to inhale without a spacer. This remarkable woman spent time in developing a spacer using a bottle that fits onto an inhaler.
In addition to that, Heather led numerous studies which changed the way that TB in HIV-infected children is diagnosed, and is also renowned for her work in the Drakenstein child health study.
It's so great that this professor is being acknowledged for her life-changing work. What a truly incredible woman.
Take a listen to her full interview with me below:
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