Tribute to Lynette Denny
LYNETTE DENNY
1958-2024
| Professor Lynette Denny, our colleague and friend, passed away on Sunday, 9 June 2024, following a long period of ill health. She was 66. Professor Denny was globally renowned for her work on cervical cancer prevention. Her contributions to research and advocacy for marginalized women were immense. She engaged in trials evaluating point-of-care HPV tests, in addition to evaluating the utility of several ‘screen and treat’ approaches to cervical cancer prevention. Her work focused on the utility of optimized ‘screen-and-treat’ approaches for cancer prevention utilizing context-specific innovations. Lyn was a participating author in WHO publications on cervical cancer screening and treatment in low-income countries from 2001 until 2021. She was part of the Human Papillomavirus Expert Advisory Group (HEAG) of the World Health Organization in 2007. She was a senior author and editor for many international journals and received many awards, including the Order of the Baobab (Silver) from South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa. She also received the 2006 Department of Science and Technology Award for Women in Science and the IGCS Global Humanitarian Award. She was recognized by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the German Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (BSCCP), the International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (IFCPC), the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), various international societies of cervical pathology, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Lyn’s relationship with the University of Cape Town began as a student, graduating with an MBChB in 1983. She obtained her PhD from the University of Cape Town in 2000 with a thesis entitled “Evaluation of Alternative Strategies for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer in Low-Resource Settings”. This launched her career as a distinguished researcher, a gynaecological cancer expert and a worldrenowned scientific leader. She served as the Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 2013-2022. Lyn made an immense impact on generations of under- and post-graduate students through her teaching, training and role modelling. She never let an opportunity pass to fight for the rights and health of marginalized women in our community. Professor Denny was a remarkable person, colleague, mentor, and friend, but above all, a humanitarian with uncompromising values. She remained a stern and unwavering advocate for the most vulnerable women within our society. Her contributions and impact were not only local but extended to the global community. Prof Denny was a hard worker who spent many hours after normal working hours and many weekends working on research and multiple projects. Despite this, she made time to connect with everyone she bumped into, no matter who. She will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Professor Denny. Download pdf Written by Hennie M. Botha, MBChB, FCOG(SA), MMed (O&G), PhD (Stell) Executive Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa. |
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