Top Honours for UKZN Student in National Geneticists’ Competition

Researcher Ms Rita Labuschagne’s ground-breaking work on non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has earned her first prize in the Young and Early Career Geneticists (YEGG) publication competition.

Labuschagne’s award-winning article: ‘Scoping Review: The Current Landscape of NIPT in South Africa’, published in the Journal of Community Genetics (PMID: 40437261), impressed adjudicators who said her submission “stood out from the rest”.

The publication forms part of her Master’s in Science (MSc) degree in Genetics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), supervised by Professor Colleen Aldous from UKZN’s School of Medicine.

Aldous was more than proud of her student’s success. “I’m thrilled to celebrate Rita, whose beautifully conducted and impactful study highlights both her scientific competence and her deep commitment to improving access to genetic testing in South Africa. Watching her grow as a researcher has been a joy,” she said. “Her curiosity, precision and determination shine through in everything she does. This recognition is so well deserved, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Labuschagne is a Senior Medical Scientist in the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Laboratory at Ampath Genetics, where she has worked since 2017. She completed her internship with the company and registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in 2020. Passionate about lifelong learning, she pursued her MSc part-time at UKZN, recently submitting her dissertation titled: ‘NIPT in South Africa: A Comparative Study of Digital PCR and Current Techniques’. She is already working on her second publication following on from this research.

Her scoping review addresses a pressing public health concern – the limited accessibility of NIPT in South Africa. NIPT, which analyses cell-free foetal DNA in maternal blood to screen for trisomies 13, 18, and 21, is widely used in high-income countries but remains inaccessible to most women in South Africa and other low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). The review synthesised findings from 29 studies, highlighting key themes such as the high cost of NIPT, implementation challenges, ethical considerations, unequal access, and the need for locally validated, cost-effective alternatives.

The study emphasises the potential of technologies such as droplet digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based NIPT (ddNIPT) as a more affordable option for high-risk pregnancies, which could reduce dependence on invasive procedures and expand access across underserved populations. Labuschagne’s work advocates for improved equity in prenatal screening and emphasises the importance of integrating NIPT responsibly within South Africa’s healthcare landscape.

Labuschagne is recognised for her exceptional aptitude in genetics, technical troubleshooting, and commitment to mentorship. She plays an active role in training intern medical scientists at Ampath and is deeply passionate about the future of NGS-based human genetics.

Words: MaryAnn Francis

Photograph: Supplied