Dr James Keaveney, a physicist at the University of Cape Town (UCT), won the New Frontiers Research Award from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) on Wednesday.
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Keaveney, a well-published, often-cited research physicist, is the elected national coordinator of a group of nearly 100 South African physicists and engineers who collaborate in ATLAS, a multinational general-purpose particle physics experiment at the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland.
He was one of only eight (out of 101 initial applicants) who were called to be interviewed. Applications ranged from across the country, covering a range of subjects from English to astrophysics.
He says he will use the New Frontiers Research Award to focus on low-cost medical imaging for cancer research. He aims to do this by developing ways of making positron emission tomography (PET) scanning more effective and cheaper.
PET scanning is used to identify cancers and other tissue damage during the diagnosis and monitoring process. It is also used in tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment. TB is the leading cause of death in South Africa and the leading infectious cause of death of people worldwide after Covid-19.
However, PET scanning is often not available in middle- and low-income countries like South Africa due to high costs. To mitigate this, Keaveney plans to develop the use of tiny quantum-dot nanocrystals as highly sensitive detector components, which could improve PET efficiency and extend its application to cardiovascular issues, infectious diseases, stem-cell tissue repair, inflammation, paediatrics, and prenatal care.
These nanocrystals are also more cost-effective than the materials currently used.
‘It’s living your dream to be paid to explore, [but] it’s not often that, as a scientist, you are given free rein to pursue exactly what you want to pursue,’ he says.
Furthermore, the physicist plans to use the award to promote global interdisciplinary collaboration and support younger, up-and-coming scientists in this field.
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He will collaborate with experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and in nano-electronics at UCT, at the African Institute for Mathematical Science (AIMS), at CERN, and institutions across the globe.
‘This project will unambiguously break new ground in the field of detector technology,’ he adds.
The annual New Frontiers Research Award gives talented early- to mid-career researchers the chance to pursue ideas and ‘push the boundaries of knowledge in their fields of study,’ says OMT Chair Rebecca Oppenheimer.
‘OMT believes that the New Frontiers Research Award is a step towards the substantial investment in research excellence and innovation (…) needed to put South Africa back on the path to prosperity.’
UCT Vice-Chancellor interim Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy says the recognition of Keaveney’s achievements provides a further example ‘of the contributions of our researchers to the advancement of both knowledge, with an impact both local and global.
‘We are also confident that this prestigious award will (…) further impetus to his research efforts, pave the way for new knowledge, and contribute to future innovations.’
The total award is R7.5 million. Applicants must be based at a South African university and aspire to build high-performance teams. Each applicant receives R1.5 million in research funding each year for five years.
‘Our current and future stars need to be recognised and supported with the freedom and flexibility to deliver cutting-edge and internationally significant research,’ Oppenheimer adds.
‘Through individuals like James Keaveney and the teams they build around them, we can strengthen and develop South Africa’s research excellence, delivering work with far-reaching impact.’
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