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M U T

S P I R I T

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0

MUT scientist flies the MUT flag in BBC discussion on

COVID-19

Dr Maryam Amra Jordaan

June 23, 2020 was the day that one of the University

staff members made history! Dr Maryam Jordaan,

NRF Administrator at the MUT’s Research Directorate,

joined scientists from around the world in a BBC

discussion to explore and inspire worldwide innovation

to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the meeting we had the opportunity to make

comments and ask questions directly with an expert

panel of four world-class engineers involved in the

COVID-19 response. BBC presenter Kevin Fong

hosted this exciting global conversation to explore

and inspire innovation worldwide,” said Dr Jordaan.

Dr Jordaan was part of an audience representing six

continents.

Dr Jordaan believes a world effort is required to deal

with COVID-19. “In order to combat the coronavirus,

a combined global effort is needed; the BBC World

Service and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition

of 1851 created a special online forum which took

place on 23 June 2020,” said Dr Jordaan.

Dr Jordaan and her colleagues at the University, Dr

Oluwakemi Ebenezer, Dr Nkululeko Damoyi and

Dr Michael Shapi, have already written a paper

on COVID-19. The paper, titled “Virtual screening,

physicochemical properties and molecular docking

study of FDA approved compounds similar to ARV

efavirenz, targeting COVID-19” was accepted by

Heliyon, an open access journal. The team has also

submitted another paper for review. The preprint for

this paper is available at

https://www.researchsquare. com/home.

Dr Jordaan is one of the University’s annual Research

Award winners. She has also been acknowledged

by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) for her

innovative ideas. She won the TIA’s Global Cleantech

Innovation Programme Award (GCIP-TIA) for the best

women-led team, and was the TIA female investees

winner for the best social impact innovation in 2019.

“TIA has further invested in my business development

skills through the Leaders in Innovation Fellowships

(LIF) programme facilitated by the Royal Academy

of Engineering, from which I won first place at the

pitching event in London in January 2020,” said Dr

Jordaan.

The participation of Dr Jordaan in the BBC discussion

was highly applauded by the Research Directorate,

under which Dr Jordaan works. “Everybody in the

Research Office is filled with excitement. We cannot

be more proud of Dr Jordaan,” said Dr Anette Mienie,

Director, Research.