• Graphical Abstract presented at the Mycological Society of America meeting 2020
• Poster presented at South African Society of Plant Pathology Conference 2022
• Poster presented at the IMC12 conference in Maastricht
• The taxonomic status of selected Paraburkholderia isolates based on comparative genomic and evolutionary approaches

Background:

As a curious individual, I have always been drawn to science, particularly microorganisms. In 2018 I was awarded the opportunity to partake in the Centre for Plant Health and Biotechnology (CPHB) mentorship program offered by FABI at the University of Pretoria. This experience allowed me to develop my confidence, and nurture my passion for fungi. In 2023, I joined the CPHB mentorship program once again, this time as a mentor, and have been part of the committee organising the mentorship ever since. 

Additionally I was appointed as the Curator of the CMW and CMW-IA Culture Collections in FABI in November 2024. These Collections house over 66 000 and 7 000 economically important pathogens of the forestry and agricultural industry. 

Research:

I completed my undergraduate degree in BSc Microbiology in 2018. With a passion for research I pursued and completed my BScHons Microbiology in 2019 which focused on delineation of Paraburkholderia species using an evolutionary and comparative genomic approach. In 2020 I joined the Applied Mycology group and started my MSc on the fungal diversity associated with Stipagrostis ciliata of the fairy rings in the Namib desert. Part of this work was presented in the form of a graphical abstract at the Mycological Society of America (MSA) Meeting 2020. Furthermore, this work was presented at the South African Society of Plant Pathology (SASPP) meeting in 2022, for which I was selected as a top twelve contender for best poster presentation. I was awarded my MSc Microbiology with distinction 2022. I am currently completing a PhD focusing on the diversity of Penicillium in soils across the Western Cape of South Africa, as a component of the larger South African Soil SurveY (SASSY) project.