Dr Gciniwe Mathenjwa

Gciniwe obtained her BSc Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand. With a great interest in research and development she furthered her studies, obtaining a BScHons (2015) and MSc (2018) Chemistry (both with distinction), from the same institution.

In 2022, Gciniwe completed her PhD in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) under the supervision of A/Prof Clinton Veale. Her project involved the synthesis of putative heat shock protein (HSP) 90 inhibitors, whose physicochemical properties had been modified to focus target activity to the extracellular environment. During her time at UKZN she also worked as a part-time lecturer for second- and third-year organic chemistry modules.

After her PhD, Gciniwe remained with A/Prof Clinton Veale, now at the University of Cape Town, as a postdoctoral research fellow. During this time, she worked on a variety of projects, including the development of synthetic procedures to access Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) inhibitory compounds, and the synthesis of a series of compounds which target Mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP70.

In July 2024, Gciniwe joined H3D as a postdoctoral research fellow in medicinal chemistry, working on a malaria drug discovery project.