In Memoriam: Professor Lynette Denny, MBChB, MMED, FCOG, PhD, FRCOG
The NCI Center for Global Health is deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Lynette Denny, a passionate gynecologic oncologist dedicated to the prevention of cervical cancer in low-resource settings. Professor Denny’s contributions to research and advocacy for marginalized women were immense and she will be greatly missed by colleagues, collaborators, and friends at the Center. The Center for Global Health had the privilege of hosting Professor Denny for our Global Cancer Research and Control Seminar Series in 2022. In this seminar, Professor Denny discussed her cervical cancer research and control efforts in South Africa, modeling her profound commitment and care for the people she served.
Professor Lynette Denny in her clinic in South Africa (2018).
“Lyn was a truly remarkable soul. Fierce in her advocacy, gentle in her compassion and acceptance of life’s challenges—with the greatest spirit and warmest heart. She was absolutely tireless and would never miss an opportunity to champion the needs of girls and women, especially those living in vulnerable situations and contexts,” said Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Senior Scientific Advisor at the Center for Global Health, “I was extremely fortunate to have worked with her on a number of projects over the years, most recently on our Lancet Commission on Women, Power, and Cancer, for which she served as one of our trusted advisors.”
As an NCI-supported researcher, Professor Denny engaged in trials evaluating point-of-care HPV tests, in addition to evaluating the utility of several ‘screen and treat’ approaches to cervical cancer prevention. “Her work demonstrating the utility of optimized ‘screen-and-treat’ approaches for cervical cancer prevention, her advocacy for patient-centeredness in intervention development and her push for utilizing context-specific adaptations of innovations have continued to inspire several ongoing efforts supported by the NCI in our HIV/HPV-Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Networks,” shares Program Director Dr. Vikrant Sahasrabuddhe, “Dr. Denny’s passing is a sad loss for all of us in the global community of clinicians, researchers, advocates, and organizations working collaboratively for the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.”
Professor Denny served as Head of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Cape Town from 2013-2022. In November 2022, she was awarded The Order of the Baobab by the President of South Africa for distinguished service to her country. In continuation of her legacy, the global cancer community will commit to embodying her work and spirit.