Photo: Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University Professor Novel Chegou, who heads a tuberculosis biomarker research laboratory, is this year's winner of the Royal Society Africa Prize, which recognizes innovation by a research scientist in Africa. One of Chegou’s main interests is developing better tests for TB meningitis in children and it is for his work in this area that he has been honored. “TB meningitis, it’s a very terrible disease,” he says. “Most of the time children will never be normal again by the time it is diagnosed.” Of children diagnosed with TBM, an estimated 20% will die. Chegou's path to higher education was one of hardship and hard work, along with a great deal of luck. Born in Cameroon and orphaned at 14, he completed studies as a medical laboratory scientist before moving to South Africa, where he aided his older brother in his business as a street vendor and studied biochemistry and molecular biology at Stellenbosch University. Chegou will probably travel to Britain in November to accept his Royal Society award.
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