My vision for the future of research at UP and how I will contribute to this development
The University of Pretoria’s strategic focus on problems of national importance includes the development of research strengths in activities that affect human welfare. Therefore, the University has identified malaria as one of the research focus areas, and established the UP Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control. Furthermore, in South Africa, the National Department of Health’s goal is to eliminate malaria in South Africa by the year 2018. As a malaria researcher, my chosen field therefore aligns with the goals of both UP and South Africa. My current research is focused on various aspects of the P. falciparum parasite’s biology, and therefore has the potential to contribute to the development of compounds used to prevent both the progression of the disease in an infected human, as well as the transmission to other individuals in a community. An additional crucial factor for the future of research at both UP and in South Africa is the creation of a critical mass of expertise needed to address the manifold and under–researched diseases plaguing the African continent. This can only be achieved by the training of both under- and postgraduate students in research and critical thinking skills, an area which I am passionate about.