“Representation Has a Ripple Effect”: UP PhD Candidate Bags International Award for Cancer Research

• University of Pretoria PhD candidate Samantha Loggenberg won the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award on 20 October 2025
• Loggenberg is studying South African medicinal plants to find new treatments for triple-negative breast cancer
• The award programme has now recognised 50 women scientists in total, with an investment of about R5 million over the years

A PhD student from the University of Pretoria has made South Africa proud after winning a major international award for her PhD Cancer Research. Samantha Loggenberg was one of the women who won the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award this year. This award celebrates young women researchers who are doing very important work in their fields, and, is a very big deal for South African women in science.

This year, the awards were given to eight female scientists whose research tackles some of Africa's biggest problems. Some of the women focused on cancer care, infectious diseases, clean water access, sustainable energy as well as looking after the environment.

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Loggenberg is doing her PhD in Medicinal Plant Science under Professor Namrita Lall and Dr Danielle Twilley from UP's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. She is currently researching triple negative breast cancer which is also one of the hardest types of cancers to treat because it doesn't respond to most of the current existing treatments. This young woman is looking at South African medicinal plants to find compounds that may be able to stop or at least slow down the spread of cancer cells.

She eventually wants to test these compounds properly and see if they could become a real treatment option for Women with breast cancer. She explained that her research would be able to create new and affordable treatments for women dealing with cancer in South Africa and the rest of the continent using the country's rich plant resources.

What the award means to Loggenberg

Samantha Loggenberg felt that the award was more than just getting recognised for the work that she was doing She went on to say that the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award reminded her that women's voices still need more support and celebration. Seeing the other award winners she was humbled by their achievements and it moved her very deeply. She also mentioned that many of the brilliant women scientists don't realise just how important the work they do actually is.

She shared that the award has made her feel more confident about the research that she is doing. She mentioned that her PhD studies in the University of Pretoria can be tough and very lonely with lots of rejection and uncertainty that comes along the way. With this award she felt that she was given the recognition she needed as well as the push to keep going forward and this is not just for herself but for the woman who will follow in her footsteps

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Beyond her lab work, Loggenberg wants to build networks that help young women scientists connect with mentors and resources. She believes that when women see other women leading confidently in science, it shows them they belong there too.

More SA students in the news

• A Venda woman shared photos of her whole family being graduates, and social media users praised their dedication.
• A university student's residence room tour went viral after showing off luxury sneaker items that had people amazed.
• A university student shared exam instructions that included a rule allowing students to cry during exams, sparking a big conversation online.

Source: Briefly News