Featured scientist: Dr Fortunate Mokoena

From decoding proteins to discovering tomorrow's medicines, Dr Fortunate Mokoena is helping shape the future of infectious disease research through an interdisciplinary approach that combines computational biology with experimental science.

Dr Mokoena's scientific journey began with a BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology before a fascination with bioinformatics during her Honours studies led her into structural bioinformatics. Her MSc focused on identifying potential drug targets for malaria, while her PhD in Biotechnology integrated computational analyses with laboratory-based protein biochemistry to better understand molecular processes in Trypanosoma brucei. Since then, she has expanded her expertise through postdoctoral research in transcriptomics and whole-genome analysis, building a diverse research portfolio that bridges biology, bioinformatics and genomics.

Antimicrobial drug discovery research

Today, Dr Mokoena leads research in antimicrobial drug discovery, tackling two of the world's most pressing health challenges: infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. Her team investigates Hsp90 as a potential drug target against malaria-causing parasites while screening diverse compound libraries to identify new antimicrobial candidates against drug-resistant bacteria. By combining target-based and phenotypic drug discovery approaches, her research aims to uncover new therapeutic strategies for diseases that continue to have a significant impact, particularly across Africa.

For Dr Mokoena, science is driven by curiosity and collaboration. As a member of the NITheCS Associates Network, she values the opportunity to work alongside researchers from different disciplines, recognising that modern scientific challenges require expertise that extends beyond a single field. She believes that bringing together biology, bioinformatics, structural biology and computational science creates opportunities for innovative solutions with real societal impact.

Academia and industry partnership

Looking to the future, Dr Mokoena hopes to expand her drug discovery pipeline by integrating advanced computational methods while strengthening partnerships between academia and industry. Equally important is her commitment to building South Africa's scientific capacity by mentoring emerging researchers and fostering collaborative networks.

As South Africa marks National Science Month in July, Dr Mokoena’s work reminds us why science matters. it helps us understand real challenges, develop new solutions, and inspire the next generation of African scientists.