KZN Medical doctor shares dermatology research in United States

Leading the way in medical excellence, 29-year-old Durbanite, Dr Navlin Naidoo, recently found himself in the United States, specifically in the state of Michigan to present his research in dermatology.

Naidoo is a qualified medical doctor by profession and has conducted research with the Department of Dermatology at UKZN.

It was only two years ago when he was asked to conduct research on the ‘skin barrier’, predominantly those of pediatric patients, who are infected with HIV.

The topic, which also served as his Master’s Degree topic in dermatology, was to determine and compare the skin barrier of HIV infected and non-infected black African children attending a local community health care clinic in Durban.

This was the first time a study like this was done and it was concluded that HIV does in fact alter the skin barrier of HIV infected patients and there was a significant difference when compared to the HIV negative children tested.

The significance of this research is that now, pharmaceutical companies may be able to use this information to develop new and improved products for these patients.

Naidoo was then asked to present his research at the College of Health Sciences in 2018 at UKZN and was awarded a prize for his research and contribution in the field of medicine.

During the earlier part of 2019, he received an invitation to submit the abstract of his research to the University of Michigan in the United States as they hosted the first ever Global Youth Advancement Summit.

After submitting his research, he then the received the news that he was selected as a delegate from South Africa among hundreds of other applicants over 52 countries worldwide.

The conference took place between June 11 and June 13 in Michigan in the United States, at which he presented his research in dermatology.

The aim of the conference was to unite the youth from various parts of the globe, who have made significant contributions to the advancement of humanity. This included many different professions such as academics and entrepreneurs.

Devoted to helping and healing those around him, Naidoo hopes that his story encourages the youth of South African to do research and focus their time being productive members of society.

“I chose medicine because I identified that my personality was that of a compassionate one and I genuinely wanted to make a difference in the world by helping people. I think it is important to encourage the young people in South Africa to aspire to be great and achieve greatness and to actually make a significant difference in the world at large. In a society where crime and drama seems to constantly make headlines, for a pleasant change, I hope this serves as a beacon of light and hope,” added Naidoo.