Prestigious Saul Hertz Young Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Researcher
Dr Bawinile Hadebe, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) senior lecturer and head of the Nuclear Medicine Clinical Unit at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) in Durban, received the Saul Hertz Young Investigator Award at the 8th Theranostic World Conference in Cape Town.
This prestigious recognition celebrates early and mid-career researchers who have made significant contributions to theranostics in South Africa. A combination of the words ‘therapeutic’ and ‘diagnostic’, theranostics has emerged as a groundbreaking and powerful tool in the fight against cancer.
Hadebe’s award was in recognition of her PhD work in CXCR4-targeted imaging, and for her contribution in Ac-225 PSMA and Ac-225 DOTATATE therapies for prostate and neuroendocrine tumours under the guidance of her supervisor and Head of the Nuclear Medicine Discipline, Professor Mariza Vorster.
Reflecting on the honour, Hadebe said: “I am deeply honoured to receive an award bearing the name of Dr Saul Hertz – the father of theranostics. His pioneering work with radioactive iodine in 1941 laid the foundation for radiotheranostics, which this year celebrates its 85th anniversary.”
“This award carries great responsibility, to continue advancing the field and to dedicate my efforts to patients in Africa, who are often excluded from clinical trials,” Hadebe said. “Our research shows that African patients face more aggressive tumour biology and systemic barriers to early detection, often presenting with advanced disease. For many, radionuclide therapies are their only hope. We need to move from being consumers of innovation to becoming architects of it.”
She dedicated the award to her late father, Mr FT Hadebe, whom they lost in 2022 to complications from chemotherapy. “Watching him fight, I felt a deep sense of powerlessness, as advanced, targeted therapy for multiple myeloma felt like a distant horizon. Today, my father is the quiet strength behind my work; I see his face in every patient I treat, fueling my drive to redefine what is possible in cancer care.”
Hadebe thanked her family, Vorster for being an extraordinary mentor, as well as the Nuclear Medicine team at UKZN and IALCH for their support. She also thanked Ms Barbara Hertz (daughter of Dr Saul Hertz) and Professor Mike Sathekge, President of the 8th Theranostic World Conference and chair of the selection committee, for the “incredible honour”.
Hadebe and the Nuclear Medicine Discipline were applauded by the Dean and Head of UKZN’s School of Medicine, Professor Refiloe Masekela, together with peers and the theranostic community both locally and globally.
Vorster said, “We are extremely proud of Dr Hadebe and grateful for the recognition of our team’s exceptional patient-centered focus”.
Words and photographs: Lunga Memela
