2026-10-06
ICRP congratulates Dr Hafsa Essop of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, on receiving the 2026 South African Women in Science Awards Distinguished Young Woman Researcher Award in the Public Engagement with Science category.
The award recognises Hafsa’s work to make scientific research accessible to wider audiences and to advance conversations around radiological protection, particularly the protection of pregnant radiation workers. Her research spans fetal dose monitoring, occupational safety, radiological protection regulation and international policy, including the development of PregiDose, an innovative tool designed to support pregnant radiation workers.
Hafsa is an active member of the ICRP community. In 2023, she received the Claire Cousins Award at ICRP 2023 in Tokyo for her work in radiological protection for pregnant radiographers. Reflecting on the award, Hafsa has described it as “one of the defining moments of my career”, helping to validate both her research and the importance of representing South Africa on an international platform.
Since then, she has continued her involvement with ICRP, including as a mentee contributing to Task Group 123 and as a speaker at ICRP’s 2025 digital event Shaping the Future of Radiological Protection: Engaging the Next Generation, where she shared her approach to making radiological protection understandable. The event also raised funds to support 13 emerging scientists to attend ICRP 2025 in person.
Her latest recognition reflects not only the importance of her research, but also the value of bringing science beyond academic publications and engaging directly with the people and communities it is intended to serve.
As Hafsa herself has said, “Research visibility is incredibly important. I enjoy sharing my research and engaging with different audiences because I believe research should extend beyond publications and be understandable to everyone.”
ICRP warmly congratulates Hafsa on this well deserved recognition and looks forward to her continued contributions to radiological protection in South Africa and internationally.
Read more about Hafsa’s award and work at the University of Pretoria.