Dr Tukulula obtained his BSc, BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees from Rhodes University (2003-2009), and his PhD from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2012. He was then appointed by the CSIR, as a Researcher (2013-2014) and Senior Researcher (2015-2016), to work on TB drug delivery project and various industrial projects. Thereafter, he joined the CIPC-DTI in 2016 as Patent Searcher/Examiner, followed by the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) as a Senior Lecturer in 2017 to 2018. At the beginning of 2019, he joined UKZN as Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry.
Dr Matshawandile’s research broadly encompass the design and synthesis of new chemical entities (NCEs) for infectious diseases, specifically Malaria, TB and neglected tropical diseases. In addition, Dr Matshawandile’s is also geared towards drug delivery research projects (nanomedicine), using polymer and lipid nanoparticles, for malaria and TB.
Dr Matshawandile’s currently working on an NRF funded project that looks at the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of bioactive compounds.
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