Tebello Nyokong is currently researching photo-dynamic therapy, an alternative cancer treatment method to chemotherapy.
13 Facts About Tebello Nyokong
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Tebello Nyokong was born in Maseru, Lesotho on 20 October 1951 but spent most of her youth in South Africa.
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Tebello Nyokong published an open letter that she wrote nominally aimed at her 18-year-old self.
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Tebello Nyokong reminded her self to trust her independent mind and not be swayed by peers or societal expectations and that her determination and love for science would guide her to not only a fulfilling career but a family and that she would contribute to society.
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Tebello Nyokong received her Cambridge Overseas School Certificate in 1972.
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Tebello Nyokong obtained her bachelor's degree in both chemistry and biology from the National University of Lesotho in 1977 followed by a Master's degree in Chemistry in 1981 from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
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The National Research Foundation gave her a high rating and helped Tebello Nyokong obtain a research laboratory at the university.
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Tebello Nyokong is known for her research in nanotechnology, as well as her work on photo-dynamic therapy.
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Tebello Nyokong's pioneering research in the latter is paving the way for a safer cancer detection and treatment, without the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy.
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Tebello Nyokong was the subject for a photographic portrait for Adrian Steirn's 21 icons which imagined her returned to her childhood role as a shepherd but now the shepherd is an adult and she is wearing her chemist's white coat.
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In 2021, Tebello Nyokong co-wrote an article in Nature Materials highlighting obstacles facing researchers in Africa.
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Tebello Nyokong is a recipient of South Africa's Order of Mapungubwe, South Africa's highest honour.
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Tebello Nyokong received the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award representing Africa and the Arab States in 2009, the South African Chemical Institute Gold Medal in 2012, and was named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Science and Technology in Africa by IT News Africa.