Davina-Nelson Apiyo’s doctoral research targets recurrent bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects millions of women and frequently recurs within months of antibiotic treatment, raising the risk of complications for reproductive health. Davina-Nelson Apiyo, who graduated with her PhD from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Spring 2026 graduation, spent her doctorate journey building a laboratory model that mimics how human tissue responds to infection – a tool researchers can use to test how promising new treatments might work in the body before they reach clinical trials.

Beyond the science itself, Apiyo says the process taught her something journals rarely show: what research looks like when experiments fail, get reworked, or are abandoned altogether. Her thesis carefully documents that trial-and-error path – what worked, what didn't, and why. With her PhD now complete, she's preparing to take that experience into the next stage of her scientific career.

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