Priyanka started her academic studies at the University of Pretoria where she obtained her BSc in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics, BSc (Hons) and MSc in Mathematical Statistics and is currently working towards completing her PhD. Her research interests are in the field of directional statistics and distribution theory with various applications. Her PhD thesis focuses on applications in wind energy and orthopaedics.

From 2017 to 2020 Priyanka was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Statistics at the University of Pretoria. During her appointment she taught courses focused on the foundational topics of Mathematical Statistics at a first and second year level. She also developed a new course for second year students focused on Applications in Data Science which was the first to introduce a more practical side of statistics at an undergraduate level. During 2021 Priyanka spent a year working in the telecommunications industry as a full stack data scientist. In 2022 she has re-joined the Department of Statistics at the University of Pretoria as a lecturer.

In her spare time, Priyanka enjoys travelling and exploring different cultures and cuisines.