ICGEB SAWBP Doctoral 2025 Fellows
2025 sees ICGEB Cape Town welcoming three new Doctoral Fellows as part of the ICGEB South African Women in Biotechnology (SAWBP) Programme, in partnership with the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Launched in 2022, the ICGEB SAWBP supports PhD and Postdoctoral South African women scientists to carry out research in the state-of-the-art labs at ICGEB Cape Town. A unique component of the Fellowships is that it also promotes the interaction and mobility of Fellows and the ICGEB community, including support to visit ICGEB Components in Trieste, Italy and New Delhi, India.
Congratulating the SAWBP 2025 Doctoral Fellows, we hear about their current research as part of this ‘proudly South African programme’.
Mampe Muriel Nyama, graduating from the University of Limpopo, commences her doctoral journey in the Virology – Emerging Viruses Group, where her research will focus on investigating mutations in HPV E6 oncoprotein and the host tumour suppressor protein p53, with a focus on their role in cervical cancer progression. In addition, Mampe will also examine how HIV co-infection may accelerate or complicate the disease. Her research aims to shed light on how these factors interact and contribute to cancer development, identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets which could address the unique cancer burden in HIV co-infected individuals and genetically diverse populations.
‘I am truly honoured to have received the SAWBP fellowship. I first got to know about ICGEB when I attended one of their conferences. To be part of it now as a doctoral student is a full-circle moment. This recognition means so much to me, and I am excited to use this opportunity to contribute to science positively and to also continue learning and growing along the way. Being part of an international and diverse community is something I truly treasure. It is wonderful to connect with people from all over the world who share a passion for discovery and curiosity’.
Chiara Foret, a recent graduate from the University of Cape Town joins the Cancer Genomics Group. As a young South African scientist, Chiara is driven to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying human disease endemic in South Africa, especially cancers that disproportionately affect underrepresented or vulnerable populations. Using patient-derived tissue samples, her PhD research aims to characterise the molecular drivers of treatment resistance in a rare paediatric kidney cancer, Wilms tumour, on the African continent.
‘I am deeply honoured to have been awarded the ICGEB SAWBP Fellowship and to have the opportunity to train within a world-class, multidisciplinary, and multicultural environment. The ICGEB’s commitment to empowering women in science and advancing meaningful research both in South Africa and around the world is a mission that I greatly respect and am proud to be a part of’.
Stellenbosch University graduate, Nomusa Nhlabathi completed her Masters focusing on characterizing a grapevine transcription factor involved in water stress tolerance. She commences her PhD in the Plant Systems Biology Group, where she will build on the foundation established during her Masters, aiming to elucidate how the IRT1 iron transporter is regulated under salt stress. Specifically, Nomusa will investigate the interplay between iron sensing, hormonal signalling, transcriptional, and possibly post-transcriptional control mechanisms. She is fascinated how plants integrate environmental signals to maintain balance under stress, and is passionate about the role of science and biotech in addressing real-world challenges such as food insecurity and climate change.
‘Being awarded the SAWBP Fellowship and joining the ICGEB means a lot to me. It’s not just a professional milestone, it’s also personal. It reminds me how far determination and curiosity can take you. As a woman in biotechnology, it feels empowering to be part of something that represents progress and possibility. The ICGEB’s international space gives me the chance to grow, learn from others, and to contribute to meaningful research. I think of my younger self, that curious girl from Ladysmith, South Africa, who fell in love with science would be proud of how far I’ve come’.
