Prince Sharon

Prince is a leading South African cancer biologist, former deputy dean of research and head of the Department of Human Biology, at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She heads a cancer biology laboratory focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers, which pose a significant health burden in Africa, particularly among women living with HIV. She has pioneered drug repurposing to identify affordable agents suitable for rapid translation in low-resource settings, and developed innovative patented anticancer compounds, marine-derived therapeutics, and aptamer-based inhibitors. With more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and over 100 emerging scientists mentored, she has made significant contributions to national and international cancer research. She was appointed to the South African Medical Research Council board and has received the A.G. Oettlé Memorial Award from the Cancer Association of South Africa, the SAMRC Gold Medal, and the National Research Foundation Hamilton Naki Award. She is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, the UCT College of Fellows, and the Academy of Science of South Africa.