I obtained a BSc. Honours degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Cape Town in 2019 and, following a research internship, began my PhD in Biomedical Science at the Free University of Berlin in 2021, supervised by Prof. Christine Goffinet. Currently, I am working as a Research Assistant in the group of Prof. Goffinet, department of Tropical Disease Biology, at LSTM.
My research focusses on modelling HIV-1 latency using a multi-omic, multi-dimensional approach. Particularly, I am interested in identifying viral and host factors that are crucial for maintaining or reversing latent infection and how these can be utilised in developing and optimising HIV-1 cure strategies. Central to these investigations is attempting to understand the interplay between host and pathogen and exploring the implications of this for immune-mediated clearance of the viral reservoir. My skillset includes generation of next generation sequencing libraries, bioinformatic analysis, flow cytometry and standard molecular biology techniques.