Dr Kamo Ramonaheng- Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy towards Women’s Development

Dr Keamogetswe “Kamo” Ramonaheng is the Head of Medical Physics and Radiobiology at Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI) and holds the distinction of being the first black South African female to earn a Ph.D. in Medical Physics with a specialization in Nuclear Medicine. Kamo originally from Bloemfontein in the Free State, South Africa, has always had a keen interest in mathematics and physics. Her educational journey began at Christian Brothers College and Eunice Girls High School in Bloemfontein, where her passion for the sciences first took root. Inspired by her love for these subjects, she pursued a career that allowed her to blend her interests with a desire to contribute to healthcare. This led Dr Ramonaheng to specialize in Medical Physics at the University of the Free State. Medical physics applies physics principles and procedures to contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases such as cancer. It plays a crucial role in optimizing the use of radiation in medical and research settings, particularly in the clinical disciplines of diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy, and nuclear medicine. Her international experience includes a fellowship from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), enabling her to train at the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Dr Ramonaheng provides essential expertise in radiation science, including dosimetry, which involves calculating absorbed radiation doses in patients. This expertise enhances disease diagnosis and treatment and significantly improves cancer patient care.

Dr Ramonaheng underscores the crucial role of medical physics in advancing healthcare informed by her Ph.D. research focused on dosimetry using voxel-based patient-specific phantoms and Monte Carlo simulations, completed in collaboration with the Medical Physics Department at the University of the Free State and the Department of Medical Radiation Physics at the University of Lund, Sweden. Her work has contributed valuable insights to the field.
She established the medical physics department at NuMeRI in Pretoria, South Africa. NuMeRI is a hub for nuclear technology expertise in medicine and bioscience, dedicated to translating scientific advancements into community benefits, fostering research, development, and innovation in the field of Nuclear Science. It serves as a key training anchor centre for the IAEA. Her research at NuMeRI focuses on dosimetry applications of theragnostics, aiming to improve the efficacy and safety of radionuclide treatments for patients with late-stage metastatic cancers. In addition to her role at NuMeRI, she also holds an honorary position as a medical physicist at Steve Biko Academic Hospital. Her research has been published in international peer-reviewed journals, and she has presented her findings at both national and international meetings. She has been invited as a keynote speaker at prestigious events such as Science Forum South Africa and the Society of Nuclear Medicine Molecular Imaging Science Day. Dr Ramonaheng also serves as a reviewer for the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Her achievements include receiving the best presentation award at the 17th Biennial South African Society of Nuclear Medicine conference.
In addition to her research, Dr Ramonaheng is a dedicated educator, serving as an extraordinary lecturer at the University of Pretoria, where she nurtures the next generation of experts by teaching and supervising master's and Ph.D. students in medical physics and medical nuclear sciences. She serves on the Master of Science committee at the University of Pretoria. She has served as an examiner at esteemed academic institutions. This encompasses her roles as convener and examiner for the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa Part I exam specifically for nuclear medicine physicians. Additionally, she has contributed to the Scientific Committee of the 20th biennial South African Society of Nuclear Medicine conference.
Dr Ramonaheng is an integral member of the research team at NuMeRI contributing as a co-investigator in clinical trials focusing on prostate, bladder, and breast cancer. She is actively involved in the implementation of targeted alpha therapy dosimetry. She is part of NuMeRI's multidisciplinary team which was honoured with the National Science and Technology Forum Innovation Award. Through her dedicated efforts, Dr Ramonaheng dedication continues to advance the field of medical physics in nuclear medicine.