Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

14 July 2026

3-minute read

One of South Africa’s most trusted voices during the COVID 19 pandemic in assisting the public to understand the rapidly evolving global health crisis, Professor Glenda Gray has been elected a Fellow of The Royal Society, the UK’s National Academy of Sciences.

Founded in 1660, the society boasts names like Albert Einstein and Charles Newton.

Professor Gray mentions that she was in “disbelief” at being elected after a long process that included soliciting referrals on her. She humbly claims that she had completely forgotten about it, even missing the letter she had been sent but felt honoured when she realized she was being acknowledged. She also felt a bit of an “impostor” when she found out the brilliant mathematicians, scientists and ecologists she was being inducted alongside with.

Referring to herself as “the accidental scientist,” Professor Gray says that her passion for working in HIV research and vaccine science stemmed from seeing the virus “explode” in the wards when she was working with pregnant women and children at hospitals. This drove her desire to “stop the scourge of HIV in children” and prevent transmission between mother and child.

Looking back to the COVID 19 pandemic, when a global mistrust of vaccines and science came about, Professor Gray says that there is a lot of work for scientists to do to educate the public on drugs and vaccines to regain public trust.

The most rewarding aspect of her career was being a doctor and giving care to ill patients. “All I wanted to do was run a ward at Baragwanath Hospital,” Professor Gray states, and she never dreamt that she would end up in scientific research. Although she benefited hundreds and thousands of people as a doctor, that benefit as a scientist now extends to millions.

While South Africa continues to produce world-class medics, Professor Gray points out that the government must invest more in medical research instead of relying on foreign investors.

Professor Gray calls being a medical doctor “the biggest gift you could ever have” and encourages the youth to use the profession as a means to relieve the pain and suffering of the ill, and to hopefully find cures for diseases.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Habib Bobat and Professor Glenda Gray here.