The Research Capacity Development (RCD) Unit at the Postgraduate School, University of Johannesburg (UJ), is thrilled to announce that Odifentse Lehasa has been crowned the regional winner of the prestigious 2024 Southern African-Nordic Centre (SANORD) Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Odifentse’s captivating presentation on “Computational fragment-based design of small molecules for hypertension treatment aided by Artificial Intelligence” impressed judges and showcased the groundbreaking research at UJ. This victory is a testament to exceptional communication skills and the ability to distil complex research into an engaging and accessible format.

The SANORD 3MT competition brings together talented PhD candidates from universities across Southern Africa and the Nordic countries, fostering research collaboration and knowledge exchange on an international stage. As this year’s Regional Winner, Odifentse will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the SANORD Conference 2024 and compete in the 3MT annual showcase. The conference is scheduled for 4-6 December at the University of the Western Cape, Bellville Campus, Cape Town, South Africa.