I am a veterinary technologist and completed my PhD (Pharmacy) in 2013. I have a keen interest in food borne bacteria and food safety. That is especially in the case of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria and the possible risk of antibiotic resistance strains. Recently I have increasing invested my time in molecular surveillance opportunities and have joined the Africa CDC PGI as a member after noticing the lack of molecular input form Africa. I partnered with African colleagues and we collectively work on these shortcomings. I have entered in a collaborations with private human pathology laboratories to conduct surveillance on target bacteria of which animals are normally the sources. In addition I feel that the development of vaccines is important to assist with safe breeding programs of life stock instead of using forms of antibiotics. Biosecurity measures are often difficult to maintain and expensive for many smaller farmers. Vaccination programs can assist in this regards.

The senior fellowship is conducted within a One Health study  theme that conducts cross-sectional studies on human, animals and environment. I recently received National Research Foundation (South Africa) rating as an established researcher. As a woman in science I hope to contribute to safer food production, that has to be affordable and assist in reducing the level of diarrhea currently experienced in Africa. The latter is often fatal and places huge burdens on the respective countries' health system as well as having social and economic burdens. 

I also work as a laboratory animal scientist and animal ethics educator and serve on my institutes' Animal Research Ethics Committee.