Health Science Reviews

By: Simon Mufara

After graduating from Wits two years ago, I spent some time working and building
experience. Coming back to university this year to start an Honours in Bioinformatics
at UCT was a big decision, one that took courage, faith, and a real hunger to grow.
Returning to student life wasn’t easy.

I had to adjust to a fast-paced academic
environment, especially in a field as technical and demanding as bioinformatics.
From the start, it felt like I had been thrown into the deep end learning new
programming languages, setting up pipelines, and navigating tools I’d never seen
before. It was tough, but at the same time, it was exciting.

Each small breakthrough has reminded me why I’m here. Whether it was writing my
first working Python script, understanding how to process genome data, or slowly
building my research project, I’ve come a long way in just a few months.
This journey is personal. I came back to university because I want to use science
and data to help solve real health problems, especially in African communities. My
project focuses on using machine learning to predict drug responses in breast
cancer patients, with a special focus on African datasets. It’s challenging, but
meaningful.

I’ve also grown a lot personally. Spiritually, I’ve leaned on God’s grace. Mentally, I’ve
had to push through self-doubt and imposter syndrome. But I’ve also been supported
by amazing lecturers, classmates, and friends who continue to inspire me.
As part of my community engagement journey, I had the opportunity to join the
Eh!Woza team as a facilitator. This experience helped me reconnect with the
everyday challenges and knowledge gaps that many communities still face when it
comes to health and science.

One of the highlights was co-hosting a disease
awareness session with high school learners.
It was a full-circle moment standing in front of students, sharing knowledge, and
realising that not too long ago, I was in their shoes. From being a high school student
myself, to studying at university, entering the workforce, and now returning to
academia, the journey has been humbling. Sometimes I catch myself wondering if I
might just leave UCT with a PhD someday.

The year isn’t over yet, and there’s still work to do. But I can honestly say I’m proud
of how far I’ve come. I’ve rediscovered my purpose, rebuilt my confidence, and
reminded myself that I belong here.

I’m still learning, still growing, and still going strong.