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Dr Clinton Veale of the School of Chemistry and Physics has been appointed to serve as the African regional co-coordinator for the membership outreach and services committee of the International Chemical Biology Society (ICBS) – a role that will see him contribute to growing the society’s footprint on the continent.
Veale – a senior lecturer and researcher in organic chemistry who joined UKZN in 2018 after completing his MSc in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and his PhD in Chemistry at Rhodes University – focuses on the application of synthetic organic and biophysical chemistry methods for the design of biologically active compounds.
His research recently won him recognition when he received a Fellowship from the Future Leaders – African Independent Research (FLAIR) programme to support his work in developing mass spectrometry based models of key Protein-Protein Interactions as novel targets for neglected diseases. The research forms part of a UKZN flagship project working in collaboration with the KZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Rhodes University and the University of Edinburgh.
Nominated for the African regional co-ordinator post by a colleague, Veale’s new role with the ICBS during his three-year term will contribute to the society’s goal of growing the science of chemical biology in a globally unifying way.
‘The society aims to develop cross disciplinary relationships between scientists in chemistry, biochemistry and related fields who work in academia, non-profit organisations, industry and government in order to help advance human health,’ said Veale.
‘With the assistance of established organisations such as the African Academy of Sciences, my goal is to help develop and expand these cross disciplinary relationships within Africa.’
The ICBS is an independent, non-profit organisation that promotes research and educational opportunities at the interface of chemistry and biology, providing an international forum to bring together scientists working in various disciplines within academia, non-profit organisations, government and industry to communicate new research and help translate the power of chemical biology to advance human health.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied