Empowering the Future: Meet the Doctoral students of the SAWiSA DSTI–Dr. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri Fellowship
The South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) not only celebrates excellence among distinguished and emerging women scientists — it also paves the way for the next generation of innovators. Meet the brilliant doctoral candidates shaping the future of science in South Africa.
Ms Jacqueline Maphutha holds an MSc in Medicinal Plant Science. She is currently pursuing a PhD in the same field at UP, with a research focus on metastatic melanoma and the therapeutic potential of indigenous medicinal plants. Her current research investigates the impact of a plant, which is traditionally used to treat skin infections, on a key molecular cascade associated with multidrug resistance in metastatic melanoma. Specifically, she explores the PTEN/AKT1/ABCB5 pathway, an area central to understanding drug resistance and cancer progression. By integrating expertise from molecular oncology, pharmacology, drug resistance and indigenous knowledge, Ms Maphutha is contributing to research areas where women remain underrepresented, while offering innovative insights into cancer therapy.
Ms Maphutha was awarded Best Oral Presenter at the 2024 International Society for Ethnopharmacology/African Phytomedicine Scientific Society Joint Congress. She has published three peer-reviewed articles in journals including the South African Journal of Botany and Molecules.
She has presented at major international conferences, including the African Research Pre-Congress Symposium (Greece, 2022), the Society for Economic Botany/Society of Ethnobiology Joint Conference (USA, 2023) and the 70th International Congress of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research. Nationally, she showcased her work at the Indigenous Plant Use Forum in 2023.
Ms Maphutha's research embodies innovation, tradition and scientific leadership in tackling pressing health challenges. She hopes her work will demonstrate the potential of African medicinal plants in treating complex diseases and amplify women's voices in global health innovation.
