Teaching and Training

Prof. Martin Munene Nyaga

Prof. Martin Nyaga is the Head of the University of the Free State-Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS) Unit and the Unit’s Principal Researcher, since its inception in 2016. His academic affiliation is the Division of Medical Virology within the Faculty of Health Sciences. Previously, Prof. Nyaga was a Research Fellow and a visiting Postdoctoral Research…READ MORE

Dr. Peter Nthiga Mwangi

Dr. Peter Nthiga Mwangi obtained his Ph.D. at the University of the Free State – Next Generation Unit (UFS-NGS) and Division of Virology in 2021 through a full scholarship by the African Enteric Viruses Genome Initiative (AEVGI), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). His doctoral work investigated molecular epidemiology at the whole-genome…READ MORE

Mr. Milton Tshidiso Mogotsi

Mr. Milton Tshidiso Mogotsi is a Ph.D. candidate in Medical Virology at UFS, under the supervision of Prof. Martin Nyaga. His research seeks to establish the origin of early life virome in the gut of infant cohorts and determine the diversity and dynamics of these viral populations using NGS. He obtained his M.Sc. in Microbiology (Cum Laude) at UFS in 2019,…READ MORE

Mr. Ayodeji Emmanuel Ogunbayo

Mr. Ayodeji Emmanuel Ogunbayo is a Ph.D. NRF grant holder’s fellow at the Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Unit and Division of Virology, University of the Free State (UFS), under the mentorship of Prof. Martin Nyaga. He holds BSc Degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology (University of South Africa (UNISA) and BMedSci and M.MedSci (UFS)…READ MORE

Mr. Teboho Mooko

Mr. T Mooko is a Doctoral fellow at the Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Free State (UFS). He is also affiliated with the Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS) Unit and Division of Virology, UFS. His PhD study is funded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)...READ MORE

Miss Robyn-Lee Potgieter

Miss Robyn-Lee Potgieter is currently a first year M.MedSc. candidate at the Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Unit and Division of Virology, University of the Free State (UFS), under the supervision of Prof. Martin Nyaga. Her research involves performing whole genome sequencing and analysis on rotavirus strains pre- and post-RotaTeq® vaccine introduction,…READ MORE
Miss Hlengiwe

Miss Hlengiwe Sondlane

Miss. Hlengiwe Sondlane is a M.MedSc. student at the UFS-NGS Unit and Division of Virology, University of the Free State under the supervision of Prof. Martin Nyaga. Her research focuses on genetic analysis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) circulating in the Free State, in paediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is funded by