Dr Phulukdaree, Department of Physiology, is the third Next Einstein Forum (NEF)fellow from the University of Pretoria. She was chosen from 19 candidates from across Africa. The NEF is a platform that connects science, society and policy in Africa, and the rest of the world – with the goal to leverage science for human development globally.

The NEF believes that Africa’s contributions to the global scientific community are critical for global progress. At the centre of NEF efforts are Africa’s young people, the driving force for Africa’s scientific renaissance. In terms of research, Alisa is in the process of setting up a microRNA analysis molecular laboratory which will complement current research in the Department of Physiology. Her aim is to create a link between clinical research and lab-based research such that clinicians may have access to a research laboratory which is not only capable of assessing genetic and epigenetic changes, but that will also evaluate pathological mechanisms of disease at the cellular and molecular level. To date, Alisa has authored and co-authored 41 publications in national and international peer-review journals.

Einstein Challenge: Alisa aspires to collaborate with mathematicians, computer scientists, basic scientists, clinicians and public health scientists to develop personalized health tools that are able to instantly screen genetic and epigenetic susceptibility risk factors with minimal costs and provide therapeutic interventions.