UKZN Alumna Tariq Al-Sayed Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for Breakthrough Diagnostics Work

International Recognition for Medical Innovation

Tariq Al-Sayed, a science graduate from University of KwaZulu-Natal's Faculty of Law and Public Governance in Durban, has earned a place on the globally recognised Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Science and Healthcare category. The award acknowledges Tariq Al-Sayed's pioneering contribution to developing a portable rapid diagnostics device capable of detecting infectious pathogens within minutes using minimal blood sample volumes.

The technology, initially conceived as a final-year undergraduate project at UKZN, has since progressed to clinical validation trials in collaboration with regional healthcare systems in South Africa.

Device Capabilities and Clinical Applications

• Sample Requirements: Functional with fewer than fifty microliters of whole blood, saliva, or nasal swab specimens.
• Detection Accuracy: Over ninety-seven percent sensitivity and specificity across a panel of fourteen common bacterial and viral pathogens in controlled clinical validation.
• Rural Healthcare Deployment: Designed for use in low-resource healthcare settings lacking laboratory infrastructure, including remote communities across South Africa.

Tariq Al-Sayed's Reflections

"UKZN gave me the scientific rigour to ask precise questions and the laboratory environment to pursue answers rigorously," said Tariq Al-Sayed. "This recognition belongs as much to my mentors and research partners at University of KwaZulu-Natal as it does to me."