A student from North West has received international recognition as a Lung Cancer Scholar from the American Cancer Society. His name is Brandon Mashandudze, he is 14 years old, and he is from Mahikeng.
This 9th-grade student from Curro Mahikeng School was awarded for his research on using artificial intelligence (AI) for earlier detection of lung cancer. He earned this high honor as part of the Lung Cancer Innovation Challenge—an international competition for middle and high school students organized by the American Cancer Society's Lung Cancer Screening Initiative.
Brandon's certificate was issued in collaboration with the Harvard Medical School's educational program. Contestants developed medical innovation projects focused on lung cancer awareness, screening, or early diagnosis, supported by mentors.
Each application was evaluated based on criteria such as innovativeness, impact, scalability, cost, and subject knowledge. Brandon's winning project explored how digital health technologies and AI can improve lung cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and personalized risk assessment. To complete the work, the teenager studied disciplines such as oncology, epidemiology, machine learning, and biostatistics—subjects typically not taught in the 9th grade—and repeatedly revised his project.
He noted that at one point, the work stopped feeling like an ordinary school project and started feeling like a real investigation into the issue. According to Brandon, he chose lung cancer because early detection is crucial, and his research influenced his view on technology. He emphasized that AI is not intended to replace doctors but rather serves as a tool to assist medical professionals in analyzing information and potentially detecting problems earlier.
This recognition is a continuation of Brandon's recent successes at science fairs. In 2025, he won a silver medal and the 'Junior AI for Impact' award at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair, after winning gold and the best social sciences project prize at the regional level. At the Ngaka Modiri Molema Regional Science Fair in 2026, Brandon received an award for best innovation and was honored as a Cell C project laureate for his research on the impact of environmental conditions on the spread of infectious diseases. Also in 2026 at the Eskom Expo for young scientists, he received a bronze medal for a mathematical model developed to determine optimal filtration points in municipal water networks, which helps prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
The Executive Director of Curro Mahikeng, Janita Maritz, described Brandon as hardworking, humble, and curious, interested in how things work. She reported that the school strives to give students opportunities to explore ambitious questions, with teachers acting as mentors. His physics teacher, Ms. Tshireletso Pitso, helped him develop the research methodology, facilitated the refinement of presentation skills, and supported him during difficult moments of the work. Maritz expressed the school's pride, stating: 'We are incredibly proud of Brandon. It is wonderful to see his hard work recognized on the international stage.'
Brandon stated his plans to continue his research using a larger volume of data and time, and also expressed interest in fields where medicine, science, and technology intersect. He urged other young people not to wait until they are older to start pursuing what interests them.