Lesole Kalake | Computer Science | Best Research Article Award

Dr. Lesole Kalake, National Department of Health, South Africa

Dr. Lesole Soldaat Kalake is a South African ICT and AI researcher, educator, and database professional with a strong interdisciplinary background in computer science, statistics, and business intelligence. He holds a PhD in Information and Communication Engineering from Shanghai University, China. With professional experience spanning over two decades, he has served in both academia and government, notably at the National Department of Health as a Business Analyst and Assistant Director. He has lectured at various institutions including the University of KwaZulu-Natal, UNISA, and Kobe Institute of Technology in Japan. Dr. Kalake has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, focusing on multi-object tracking, electronic health system security, and computer vision. He is also an active peer reviewer for IEEE Access and Springer journals. Passionate about applying AI in public sector systems, he is known for his expertise in SQL databases, SAS tools, and machine learning frameworks, and continues to contribute to South Africa’s eHealth transformation.

Publication Profile

scopus

Education

Dr. Kalake earned his PhD in Information and Communication Engineering from Shanghai University, China in 2024. He also holds an MSc in Information Systems from Kobe Institute of Technology, Japan, and a BSc Honours in Applied Population Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he also completed his BSc in Computer Science and Statistics. His academic credentials further include professional diplomas and certificates: a Business Analysis degree from Desto Pty Ltd, Moderation of Outcomes-Based Assessment from Edutel Pty Ltd, and Assessment of Outcomes-Based Assessment from PC Training Holdings. Dr. Kalake is certified as a SAS Base 9 Programmer, SAS Advanced Programmer, and MCTS in Microsoft SQL Server 2008. These qualifications highlight his strong foundation in analytics, software engineering, and IT systems design, supporting his multidisciplinary contributions in both academia and government sectors, particularly in the realms of digital health and artificial intelligence.

Experience

Dr. Kalake has extensive professional experience in software development, tutoring, business analysis, and database administration. Since 2009, he has served the National Department of Health (South Africa) as an Assistant Director focusing on SQL database management, project coordination, and business intelligence. He previously worked for organizations such as Sasuka Pty Ltd and Gauteng Department of Public Works as a Business Analyst and SAS Developer. In academia, he held roles at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, UNISA, and Kobe Institute of Technology, tutoring in IT and statistics. His work has involved e-Governance coordination (JICA/IDCJ project) and developing reporting systems, security frameworks, and decision-support tools for government and private sectors. He is highly skilled in SAS tools, Microsoft SQL Server, Power BI, and modern AI frameworks like PyTorch and Keras, contributing to a seamless integration of data science into public health and development systems.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Lesole Kalake’s scholarly contributions have garnered international recognition. He has served as a peer reviewer for prestigious journals such as IEEE Access and Springer’s Multimedia Tools and Applications since 2021. His critical reviews have covered advanced topics in federated learning, AI for health diagnostics, and cross-dataset validation for age estimation. As a conference presenter, he co-authored a paper at the AFRICATEK 2017 international conference on the use of 3D facial recognition for secure eHealth authentication, published in Springer. His ongoing government work in pharmaceutical economic evaluations has also contributed to national policy development. Though his academic work is recent, it reflects high-impact innovation, especially in multi-object tracking and real-time computer vision, indicating growing recognition in the AI and public sector technology communities. His combined academic, research, and government contributions position him as a forward-thinking leader in the application of technology for development.

Research Focus

Dr. Kalake’s research lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, eHealth security, and computer vision. His recent investigations explore real-time multi-object tracking across non-overlapping camera views, aiming to enhance detection and re-identification using deep learning models. He has worked on improving object detection performance by integrating methods like HOG (Histogram of Oriented Gradients) with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Additionally, he has focused on video processing, smart surveillance, and deep learning algorithms to improve detection quality in constrained environments. In the healthcare domain, he is investigating security frameworks for Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, proposing models using 3D face recognition, Wi-Fi, and smartphone-based authentication to safeguard patient data. His interdisciplinary focus contributes to advancements in AI-driven diagnostics, public sector information systems, and the digital transformation of health systems. This blend of academic and applied research highlights his commitment to AI for public good.

Publication Top Notes

• 📄 Analysis Based on Recent Deep Learning Approaches Applied in Real-Time Multi-Object Tracking: Review, IEEE Access, 2021

• 📄 Enhancing Detection Quality Rate with a Combined HOG and CNN for Real-Time Multiple Object Tracking, Sensors, 2022

• 📄 Applying Ternion Stream DCNN for Real-Time Vehicle Re-Identification and Tracking, Sensors, 2022

• 📘 Designing an Electronic Health Security System Framework Using Wi-Fi, Smartphone, and 3D Face Recognition, AFRICATEK 2017, Springer