Associate Professor Thishana Singh of the School of Agriculture and Science is among a new cohort of eight leaders of the South African Chemical Institute (SACI), serving a three-year term as incoming Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Chemistry (SAJC).
Singh joins Professor Tricia Naicker of the School of Health Sciences, who serves as Editor-in-Chief.
In her new role, Singh will contribute to the journal’s strategic direction, maintain the quality and integrity of its peer-review process, support authors and reviewers, identify emerging areas of research, and strengthen the SAJC’s national and international profile.
Singh joined UKZN in 2018 as a senior lecturer in the then School of Chemistry and Physics, following experience in industrial and medical environments, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2024.
Her research focuses on computational nutraceutics – using computational methods to predict the molecular structure, spectroscopy and chemical reactivity of bioactive compounds – to inform the design and synthesis of novel drugs for diseases such as diabetes and tuberculosis.
A C2-rated National Research Foundation (NRF) researcher, Singh has published 63 peer-reviewed papers and received several competitive research awards and grants since 2022, including funding from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the NRF and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). She also completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Stockholm University, Sweden, working on transition-metal-catalysed reactions.
Her research incorporates machine learning into drug design, and she has collaborated with researchers across Africa, Europe and Asia. She has also contributed to Women in Science initiatives at UKZN.
Singh has extensive professional experience within SACI, having served on its Executive Council and participated in its KwaZulu-Natal branch. She previously chaired SACI’s Inorganic Division and is involved in its Molecular Modelling and Physical Chemistry divisions. Her other professional roles include serving on the RSC Researcher Grants Peer Review Group and online poster conference committee, as well as the NRF’s Chemistry rating specialist committee.
Having worked with the SAJC for many years, initially as its Computational Chemistry Sub-Editor, Singh said she was “honoured and humbled” by the appointment.
“This appointment allows me to contribute to a journal that has played an important role in promoting chemical research in South Africa for more than a century. I see this appointment not only as a personal achievement but also as a responsibility…to continue strengthening the journal, increasing its international visibility, and creating opportunities for researchers to showcase high-quality scientific research,” she said.
All eight members of the new SACI leadership cohort are women, which Singh described as “very encouraging”, noting that women remain underrepresented in many areas of science, particularly in leadership.
She anticipates that her appointment will expand her academic leadership beyond teaching and research, providing insights into scientific publishing and emerging research across chemistry. She also hopes to strengthen international collaborations and contribute more directly to the development of the chemical sciences in South Africa and Africa.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied