'Daddy's girl' conquers the world

Namibian protégé Johanna Ndamwena Amunjela has already made waves across the world with her breakthrough research into the treatment of brain, breast and gastric cancer.Over the weekend, she announced she has now earned her Doctorate in Cancer Research from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom.“Dr JN Amunjela, Tate Aaron's daughter (daddy's girl),” she said proudly on Facebook.“Many years ago, my father and my five-year-old-self, we had a dream. Today that dream has been realised as I earned my Doctorate in Cancer Research from the University of Aberdeen in the UK,” she said.“Sadly, my father didn't live to see this day but I rejoice for the both of us. I am immensely grateful to everyone who helped me along the way from Ondukuta to Aberdeen and beyond. “To borrow from the wise words of our commencement speaker, 'May we never feel like we've done it all or done enough to just lay back and watch life pass us by!' Here is to climbing new mountains and pursuing new challenges!”Namibian Sun has been following her journey for many years.In 2015, she presented her research findings at the University of Cambridge at the Genes and Cancer Conference in the United Kingdom. The research that Amunjela carried out at the University of Aberdeen, supervised by Dr Steven Tucker, is among the first in the world to investigate the role that specific proteins called 'Popeye domain containing protein1, 2 and 3 or Popdc1, 2 and 3' play in the spread of cancer. The understanding these proteins better will lead to treatment breakthroughs globally. In an interview with Namibian Sun at the time, Amunjela said: “In August 2010, I lost a very close friend to cancer. He was young, a mere 28 years old, with a very promising career ahead of him. We were a small group of friends and used to hang out together until his very last moments.” She said her friend had asked her to explain his medicines to him, so he could understand exactly how each one was helping his body. “As a newly-qualified pharmacist this was my field. I understood the mechanisms of action of each one and the rationale for all the combinations of medicines he was receiving,” she said. “We'd chat about this and it would help him be more willing to take his medicine. In his last moments though, I felt very helpless and useless. My friend was dying and all I could offer him was a glass of water. From that moment onwards, I knew I had to do something more significant with my life. That is how my passion for cancer research began,” Amunyela said. Born in Omusati, Amunjela was born in Ondukuta village in Omusati Region. She relocated to Walvis Bay at the age of 12 and continued with her schooling at the coastal town. She calls herself “daddy's girl” as her father had a big influence in her life. “He was a very courageous and visionary, a go-getter who always encouraged us to strive to become more. Since I was about five years old, he started grooming me for greatness. He would say 'daddy's girl, when you grow up, you will go to university, be very educated, wise and take good care of yourself'. It became a poem and I would recite it to him every other day,” she related. Her father passed away when she was 12, but he left a strong vision of the great person she has grown into. Her mother and older brother continued looking after her and three siblings. “As a young girl I was into academics and modelling,” she told Namibian Sun.She said that when she matriculated from Kuisebmond Secondary School, she could not apply directly to study pharmacy, because of the limited matric subjects on offer. Amunjela said she attended a pre-pharmacy course at the University of Namibia (Unam) in 2004 before moving to Cape Town. “I studied my Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) at the University of Western Cape and this institution really shaped my career as a scientist,” she said. Amunjela said after deciding to specialise in pharmacology and branch into drug discovery, she found it extremely difficult to get any funding. “After approaching many in institutions in Namibia, the ministries of health and education included, my family and I eventually made a plan to fund my studies,” she said. She further said her life at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland was not easy, but because of the kindness of the Scottish people and immense support from her family, she managed. She graduated with a Masters in Clinical Pharmacology, obtaining a distinction in November 2013. She was awarded the JC Petrie Prize for graduating at the top of her class. “I then commenced my PhD studies, which were funded by the University of Aberdeen. I am immensely grateful to this institution for recognising my potential and investing in my abilities. Without their help, my cancer research ideas would have never become a reality and my potential never realised.” Amunjela said people should pursue their dreams with courage. “Do not limit yourself and do not let anybody limit you. Even if nobody believes in you or supports you, you must fight for your dreams. It's never easy, but you are worth it. Give life your very best shot and allow yourself the opportunity to see what you can truly become, when you extend yourself to the fullest capacity of your capabilities. Leave your mark on the world and make us proud.” Ashley Smith

'Daddy's girl' conquers the world

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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'Daddy's girl' conquers the world

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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