Dr Judey Pretorius is pioneering the future of paediatric burn care in South Africa by transforming scientific innovation into compassionate healthcare solutions.
Image: Supplied
South African biomedical scientist and entrepreneur Dr Judey (Pretorius) believes the true value of science is measured by what it can do for people beyond the laboratory.
Her recent visit to the Paediatric Burns Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg, brought that belief into sharp focus as she listened to healthcare professionals caring for children with serious burn injuries.
Facilitated by the U Matter Foundation, the visit allowed the founder of Biomedical Emporium to explore how scientists, clinicians, non-profit organisations, and businesses can work together to improve healthcare outcomes for vulnerable patients.
“I am a scientist by training, but I am also an entrepreneur, researcher, and someone who believes strongly that knowledge should translate into meaningful impact,” Dr Judey said.
From curiosity to biomedical science
She holds a Master’s degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the North-West University, with expertise in wound healing, regenerative medicine, and cell therapy.
“I have always been fascinated by the body’s ability to repair itself,” she said.
Wound healing, she explained, is a complex biological process involving cells, growth factors, inflammation, tissue formation, and communication between different biological systems.
Regenerative medicine takes that understanding further by exploring how the body’s natural capacity to repair and regenerate tissue can be better understood and supported.
For Dr Judey, scientific innovation is only meaningful when it addresses a real problem.
“Healthcare innovation should not simply be about developing something new. It should be about solving a problem that matters to patients and healthcare professionals.”
Why burn care needs more than treatment
That philosophy was evident during her engagement with the Baragwanath burns unit, where she spent time listening to doctors and healthcare professionals about the realities of treating children with serious burns.
What stood out to her was the complexity of their work.
“Burn care is not simply about treating a wound,” she said.
Dr Judey Pretorius engaged with young patients at Baragwanath Hospital, listening to their stories and exploring collaborative solutions to enhance paediatric burn care.
Image: Supplied
Children recovering from serious burns can face pain, infection risks, scarring, mobility challenges, and psychological effects long after the initial injury.
“I think people sometimes view a burn as an injury that ends when the wound closes; however, in reality, healing is often only the beginning of a much longer journey.”
As children grow, the physical consequences of a serious burn can change, while the psychological impact can continue to affect them and their families.
Dr Judey believes this is why paediatric burn care deserves greater attention from policymakers, researchers, the private sector, and the public alike.
“Children are particularly vulnerable, and the consequences of a serious burn can follow them for many years.”
The visit also reinforced the importance of bringing scientists and clinicians closer together. Research, she believes, should be informed by the challenges healthcare professionals encounter on the frontline rather than developed in isolation.
“Instead of scientists developing something in isolation and then asking healthcare professionals to use it, we should be asking clinicians what problems they encounter and allowing those challenges to inform the research agenda. Innovation has to be designed around reality. It is not enough to develop something that works scientifically. We need to develop solutions that can actually work within healthcare systems.”
That means considering accessibility, affordability, ease of use and scalability from the beginning. A scientifically promising technology, she said, will have limited impact if it cannot be implemented in a real healthcare environment.
Building bridges beyond the laboratory
That principle is also reflected in Biomedical Emporium, the biotechnology company Dr Judey founded 11 years ago.
The business has grown from a research-driven start-up into an integrated healthcare company with business-to-business and direct-to-consumer divisions, as well as a newly launched pharmacy. Biomedical Emporium also has laboratories in Mauritius and Dubai.
For Dr Judey, commercial growth comes with a responsibility to use science and business expertise to address real healthcare challenges.
“As a scientist and entrepreneur, I feel a particular responsibility to ensure that the knowledge and capabilities we have developed can contribute to addressing real healthcare challenges.”
This responsibility also extends to how businesses support vulnerable communities.
Dr Judey believes donations can provide immediate assistance, but sustainable support requires a longer-term commitment to building capacity, supporting research, and developing solutions to recurring challenges.
“Donations can make an immediate difference, and I believe there is an important place for them. But a once-off contribution does not necessarily address the underlying challenges. The value is not only in facilitating donations. It is in creating relationships that can potentially lead to longer-term collaboration and solutions.”
Dr Judey Pretorius in her laboratory, where scientific innovation meets a commitment to improving healthcare outcomes for vulnerable patients.
Image: Supplied
She sees non-profit organisations such as the U Matter Foundation as important in creating those connections, bringing communities, healthcare professionals, businesses, and researchers into conversations that can extend beyond a single intervention.
For Dr Judey, the next step is to keep listening and identify where her scientific expertise, products and resources can make a meaningful contribution to the Paediatric Burns Unit.
“I would like this to be the beginning of a meaningful conversation rather than the conclusion of one.”
Her broader ambition is for Biomedical Emporium to demonstrate how African science and biotechnology can contribute to solving African healthcare challenges while creating stronger links between research, business, and society.
“We need more bridges between science and society. We need research that moves beyond the laboratory, businesses that understand their social responsibility, and partnerships that bring together expertise from different sectors.”
During her visit to Baragwanath, however, it was the children behind the science who stayed with her.
What remained with her was seeing the environment in which healthcare professionals work and thinking about the young patients behind every wound being treated.
“A child is not simply a burn injury or a clinical case. They are a person who has a future ahead of them.”
For Dr Judey, that is the point at which science becomes more than research.
“Behind every scientific question is ultimately a human being whose quality of life we are trying to improve.”
