Minister Nzimande Congratulates Professor Liesl Zühlke on Being Named the 2026 L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Laureate for Africa and the Arab States
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande congratulates Professor Liesl Zühlke, on being named the 2026 laureate for Africa and the Arab States in the prestigious L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards.
Professor Zühlke, a 2023 South African Women in Science Awards winner, was officially honoured on Thursday, 11 June 2026, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. She was recognised for her outstanding contributions to life and environmental sciences, as well as for her scientific excellence, leadership in global health, and role in building capacity in cardiac and cardiovascular sciences.
The award recognises her groundbreaking work to improve care for children with cardiovascular disease, particularly rheumatic heart disease, a preventable condition that continues to disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable communities.
Professor Zühlke serves as Vice-President of the South African Medical Research Council's Extramural Research and Internal Portfolio. She is also a paediatric cardiologist in the Division of Paediatric Cardiology at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Director of the Children's Heart Disease Research Unit at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
Her research spans congenital and rheumatic heart disease, HIV in adolescents, and cardiac disease in women of childbearing age. She is a National Research Foundation (NRF) B2-rated researcher for 2023 to 2027 and received the 2018 MRC/UK Department of International Development African Research Leader Award.
Professor Zühlke is recognised as one of the top three international scholars in rheumatic heart disease research. In 2020, she received the NRF Public Engagement with Research Award. In 2022, she received the Metrodora Award in Public Health Leadership in Science and Medicine, the American Heart Association Young Hearts Award, and UCT's Alan Pifer Research Award.
In addition to her impressive collection of academic qualifications, Professor Zühlke also holds several senior positions in prestigious local and international professional bodies. These include the Rheumatic Heart Disease Task Force; the World Heart Federation; the International Advisory Committee of the Global Alliance for Rheumatic and Congenital Hearts; and the Strep A Vaccine Global Consortium.
Professor Zühlke is one of five laureates honoured this year. The other 2026 laureates are Professor Felice Jacka of Deakin University, OAM (Asia and the Pacific); Professor Sarah A. Teichmann of the University of Cambridge (Europe); Professor Raquel Lia Chan of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council in Argentina (Latin America and the Caribbean); and Professor Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic of Columbia University (North America).
The Minister Nzimande stated that “Professor Zühlke's global recognition is a source of profound national pride and will go a long way in inspiring more young girls to take up careers in science. Her groundbreaking work in paediatric cardiology and rheumatic heart disease shows how South African scientific excellence can translate into tangible, life-saving interventions for our most vulnerable communities."
He added: "Her research is testament to the exceptionally high quality of science that is being conducted by South Africa’s public science institutions and reinforces the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation's unwavering commitment to advancing women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."
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