Division of Immunology Outreach Day
The Division of Immunology hosted a superb day of outreach on Friday 26th October 2018 for high school students from Athlone, Langa, Lentegeur and Guguletu. The Outreach team, led by Dr. Reto Guler and co-organizers Mumin Ozturk, Julius Chia, Shandré Pillay, Shelby Jones, Maxine Höft, Sumayah Salie, Amkele Ngomti and Lorna Gcanga organised a full day of science, practicals and education for the pupils. The enthusiastic Grade 10’s learnt all about infectious diseases in South Africa and the opportunities for scientific studies at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
The day began with bus rides from the schools of Lentegeur, Spes Bona, Fezeka and Langa High Schools with the students arriving at one of the day’s sponsors; the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) for a series of lectures. The pupils eagerly listened to talks provided by immunologists on HIV, Immunology, TB, Listeriosis and neuropsychology. Philip Smith from the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre (DTHC) gave a lecture on HIV awareness, while Clive Gray (Chair and Head, Division of Immunology) then followed with a talk on the HIV virus itself. Reto Guler made the pupils aware of the innate and adaptive immune systems with an immunology lecture, which led to a talk by Suraj Parihar on Listeriosis. Tiroyaone Bogale gave a popular lecture on stress and the brain and the effect of thought processes involved. Michelle Fisher, a representative from the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), also gave a lecture on TB awareness and shared some SATVI educational goodies with the students.
The Grade 10’s were then invited to a delicious lunch of 100 combo meals generously sponsored by King Pie and hosted at the IDM. The pupils mingled with the lecturers and were able to ask questions and meet the specialists in their fields. After lunch, the Outreach team and the students gathered on the grass for group photos below Cape Town’s Table Mountain.
Dr. Guler then introduced the pupils to their practical for the day with an ingenious video (created by Maxine Höft) of each step required in the laboratory. Dr Guler, Chair of Health and Safety at the IDM, also introduced all laboratory safety rules required in the lab. A specially prepared lab was made safe for the students and they were supervised at all times. Divided into two groups, the Grade 10’s prepared for their time in the lab with a walk past active research labs and donning their first lab coats. The eager pupils investigated the effect of handwashing with water or soap on microbial growth by using trypticase soy broth agar plates and their hands. One hundred handsept liquid soaps were generously provided by Envirochem, another sponsor of the day. The results of each pupil’s experiment were shared with them on WhatsApp groups and a Facebook page – UCT Immunology Outreach - especially set-up for the Outreach day.
After thoroughly enjoying their first lab experiences, the Grade 10’s were treated to a presentation at the UCT Pathology Learning Centre led by Jane Yeats. The fascinated pupils were able to handle specimens from organs preserved from infected individuals with diseases ranging from strokes, to TB and cancer.
The high school students then walked up to Groote Schuur to enjoy the Heart of Cape Town Museum which also sponsored the event. The Christiaan Barnard themed museum held some captivating history on the medical break-throughs made in heart surgery by Dr. Barnard and his team. Videos of Mr. Hamilton Naki and Dr. Christiaan Barnard entertained the pupils, while a guided tour of the museum taught them everything there was to know about this proud South African history.
The highly successful community outreach day ended with fond farewells and bus trips, organized by Maistry’s Bus Service, for the students back to their high schools. The Division of Immunology was proud to host such eager pupils and we would like to thank them for participating so fully in the day. We would also like to thank Dr. Guler and his team; Mumin Ozturk, Julius Chia, Shandré Pillay, Shelby Jones, Maxine Höft, Sumayah Salie, Amkele Ngomti and Lorna Gcanga for hosting the students. Our gratitude also goes to the sponsors who made the day possible – IDM, King Pie, the Heart of Cape Town Museum and Envirochem.
Article by Bonamy Holtak