Yanelisa Pulani

Growing up in the Eastern Cape village of Mpepheni, Yanelisa Pulani, 25, always heard she was “smart” — and in her community, that meant one thing: becoming a doctor. But the loss of her aunt and grandmother to cancer turned that goal into a mission. This rooted Yanelisa’s purpose in service and building systems that her community had never had. Now a final-year medical student at the University of Cape Town and a Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Yanelisa is already transforming the research landscape. As the founding chief executive of the African Research Society (ARS), she leads a youth-driven, Africentric movement connecting 2 000 students to research, mentorship and leadership opportunities. Under her leadership, ARS became the first student-led body in South Africa to host five Nobel Laureates, including Professor Joachim Frank. She is also pursuing a master’s in neuroscience physiology, investigating neglected parasitic diseases of the brain, and advocates for health justice through the UCT Global Surgery Fellowship and REACH Alliance, focusing on access to healthcare for structurally vulnerable women.

• MBChB, University of Cape Town (*final year)
• Master of Science in Medicine (Neuroscience Physiology), University of Cape Town (*in progress) – research focus: Effects of Taenia solium on cell-type specific gene expression in the human brain
• Bachelor of Medical Science Honours in Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Cape Town  (*first class honours) – UCT Plus Gold Award for leadership contributions
• Accredited short courses completed: Global Surgery Foundations Course, University of Cape Town  – Essential Research Skills Programme, Stellenbosch University

• Founded the African Research Society (ARS) and connecting over 2,000 students to research, mentorship and leadership opportunities
• ARS hosting five Nobel Laureates, including Professor Joachim Frank, as part of the annual Inside the Researcher’s Mindset Congress. This achievement marked the first time such an event was led by a student organisation in South Africa. Professor Frank’s direct engagement with ARS members catalysed renewed attention to electron microscopy in Africa, sparking collaborations and access pathways that now inform institutional research strategies, including at UCT
• 2024 Mandela Rhodes Scholar
• Recognised as Rising Star Runner-Up at the South African Health Excellence Awards 2023 
• Earned first-class honours in the BMedSci (Hons) in neuroscience. Ongoing research on Taenia solium in the human brain — a neglected parasitic disease — reflects a continued commitment to amplifying African research questions in African contexts

Without hesitation, my biggest role model is my mother. Growing up in the rural Eastern Cape, she raised my sister and me as a single mother — branded and underestimated as a teenage mum. But instead of allowing that label to define her, she chose service, sacrifice and strength. From as early as four years old, she taught us that we are here to serve. Whether it was sharing clothes we had outgrown with other children in the village or baking and distributing muffins to neighbours during the December holidays, my mother showed us that generosity doesn’t depend on wealth — it depends on heart. She lives a life of selflessness, always putting others before herself and placing God at the centre of everything she does. What I admire most is that she never gave up on her own dreams, even while pouring everything into ours. Her quiet resilience, her unwavering faith and her deep sense of purpose have shaped the woman and leader I am becoming. Every room I walk into, every young person I mentor, every dream I chase — I carry her and all the lessons I continue to learn from her with me.