Dr. Savania Nagiah (Nelson Mandela University) is a medical biochemist with a PhD in Medical Biochemistry from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (2016). Her research expertise is in antiretroviral drug-associated metabolic disorders. Following her PhD, she completed an NRF Postdoctoral Innovation Fellowship (2016-2019) at UKZN in a joint project between the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Department of Surgery evaluating dysregulated microRNAs in HIV and gallstone disease. She subsequently served a short-term postdoctoral fellowship at CAPRISA (Durban) before being appointed at Nelson Mandela Medical School as a senior lecturer. She managed the curation, implementation, and design of the basic medical science components of the MBChB curriculum at the new Nelson Mandela University Medical School in 2020/2021.

She was inducted into the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) in 2022 and was identified as an early career researcher by the Royal Society to attend the Commonwealth Science Conference in Singapore (2017). This led to follow-on grants in collaboration with the Pharmacy Centre of Excellence (PACE) University of Queensland (2017–2019). Dr. Nagiah has secured NRF emerging researcher seed funding (2022-2025) and holds a Y2 rating from the NRF. She was one of 26 researchers selected in the third cohort of phase 1 of the DHET flagship initiative, Future Professors Programme, having been identified as on track to entering the professoriate and for contributions to research.

Presently, Dr Nagiah is engaged in research capacity development at the Medical School, driving forward biomedical research in non-AIDs related comorbidities in people on antiretroviral therapy, with a niche interest in epigenetics.

Designation:

Senior Lecturer: Medical Biochemistry

Email:

savania.nagiah@mandela.ac.za

0415041455

Faculty:

Health Sciences

Department:

Human Biology and Integrated Pathology

Qualifications:

Doctor of Philosophy - Medical Biochemistry (UKZN, 2016); Master of Medical Science (UKZN, 2013), BMedSc Hons Medical Biochemistry (UKZN, 2012), BSc Biomedical Science (UKZN, 2011)

Professional Memberships:

N/A

Orcid ID:

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7614-8226

NRF Rating: 

Y2

Research Interests:

• Epigenetic and molecular mechanisms of antiretroviral toxicity

• Food-bourne toxicology (mycotoxins)

• Oxidative stress as a mechanism of disease

Current non-degree Research Projects:

1. Adipokine restoration to treat antiretroviral linked metabolic disruptions; Dysregulation of microRNAs and inflammation with antiretroviral use.

Current Final Year Undergraduate/Honours Research Projects:

N/A

Number of currently supervised Masters and PhD candidates (2023 to 2024):

• Masters: 0

• PhD: 1

Research Output 2023 to 2024:

N/A

Current Research Collaborations within your Department or Discipline:

1. Nanomedicine Platform (Prof Saartjie Roux).

Current Inter-Disciplinary/Multi-Disciplinary/Trans-Disciplinary Research Collaborations:

1. Dr Khuthala Mnika, UCT Department of Genetics

2. Prof Kathryn Manning, UCT (Statistics)

3. Prof Andrew Redd, Johns Hopkins Head of International Virology Unit

4. Prof Anil Chuturgoon, Medical Biochemistry, UKZN

5. Dr Shanel Raghubeer, CPUT SAMRC Cardiometabolic Unit

6. Dr Sanelisiwe Nzuza, Department of Pharmacy, Nelson Mandela University