University of Johannesburg: Associate Professor Shahed Nalla – one of 10 researchers recognised with a 2021 Ben Barres Spotlight Award
UJ Associate Professor Shahed Nalla is one of 10 researchers who have been recognised with a 2021 Ben Barres Spotlight Award for his research work.
Prof Nalla, who is based at the Doornfontein campus in the Faculty of Health Sciences: Human Anatomy & Physiology, has research interests in palaeoanthropology, anatomy and in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in Anatomy education.
First introduced by eLife in 2019, the awards provide funds and visibility to researchers from groups that are underrepresented in biology and medicine or from countries with limited research funding. The awards aim to catalyse change and unlock new opportunities for the award winners’ research and careers.
Prof Nalla was selected from among 133 applications received from authors of preprints with public reviews and eLife authors.
His award will support opportunities to be trained by renowned experts in the latest 3D methodologies to study fossilised and modern skeletal material as well as purchase equipment and consumables to produce 3D prints of the skeletal material studied.
“I am elated to receive this empowering award which will enhance my teaching, learning and research activities for my research group and students.”
He added: “This award will contribute to my own training in the latest available techniques to study hominin fossils and modern human populations. This knowledge will benefit colleagues of the group and postgraduate students registering for their Masters and PhD studies in the Department by hosting the technique capacitation workshops locally.
Research equipment to be purchased will allow for the 3D printing of treasured hominin fossil specimens, especially those housed at remote and restricted access Museum Collections but available through online databases thereby increasing access to these specimens.”
For further details about the winners of the 2021 Ben Barres Spotlight Awards, click here.