Dr Kamini Govender has been at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany this week, as one of nine representitives from Africa; She is from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Durban, South Africa (29 June 2023) – Dr Kamini Govender is one of only nine African Young Scientists joining more than 600 international delegates at the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany which has been taking place this week and ends on the 30th of June.
The meeting brings scientists from across the globe to exchange information, studies, ideas and so much more. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings were founded in 1951 and has been a highlight on the scientific community calendar each year.
“The annual Meetings provide an opportunity for an exchange between different generations, cultures and disciplines. Once every year, around 30-40 Nobel Laureates convene in Lindau to meet the next generation of leading scientists: 600 undergraduates, PhD students, and post-doc researchers from all over the world.”
Dr Kamini Govender was honoured to be selected to participate. She credits her mother for inspiring her journey into science. As a University of KwaZulu-Natal Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Dr Govender holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. She shared her thoughts on being selected with the UKZN editorial team.
‘I am very honoured to be nominated as one of nine outstanding young scientists to participate from Africa and also to be among the 40 Nobel laureates and the other pioneering young scientists attending,’ said Govender.
‘My mother, who was a Natural Science teacher, inspired me to strive to be my best. During my studies I came across many renowned scientists in literature and was always fascinated by Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie.’
Not only did Dr Govender’s mother inspire her journey into the sciences. Being born with a visual impairment, she was curious about DNA and in high school, really started on her path to where she is today.
‘I was born with a visual impairment which was discovered in my schooling career. In high school I was fascinated by science after learning about DNA,’
‘Therefore, after matriculating, I pursued a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology. My enthusiasm for science led me to continue studying towards a BSc Honours and Master’s degree in Biochemistry. I thereafter joined the Fourth Industrial Revolution in drug discovery and did a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, whereby I produced academic excellence and successfully cloned human insulin and purified it using innovative sub/supercritical fluid chromatography.’
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Good Things Wrap Up: South African Stories Worth Celebrating!In her career, Dr Govender has published results of her research in seven peer-reviewed papers in high-impact factor journals. She has presented at nine conferences both locally and internationally, and won best poster in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)/South African Chemical Institute Young Chemists’ Symposium-2020. She has also served as a reviewer in Frontiers in Endocrinology (Impact factor of 6.055).
She is a member of four enowned scientific bodies. She has research expertise in multidisciplinary fields, encompassing Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Biochemistry and Medical Biochemistry. This was her first time attending an international meeting.
‘I would like to thank ASSAF, National Research Foundation (NRF) and DSI for the opportunity and also Professor Anil Chuturgoon for hosting me as a post-doctoral fellow and believing in me.
‘I commend the camaraderie at the Medical Biochemistry Department. It was inspiring to work with other female scientists such as Dr Rene’ Khan and Dr Terisha Ghazi. They provided a wonderful and conducive research environment.’
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