Ms. Joyce Tshiswaka is a Master of Medical Science (M.MedSc) candidate in the Division of Virology, UFS-NGS Unit at the University of the Free State under the supervision of Prof. Martin Nyaga and co-supervision of Dr. Milton Mogotsi. She holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree majoring in Medical Microbiology from the University of Pretoria (UP). She further completed a Bachelor of Science Honours (BSc Hons) at the University of South Africa (UNISA), where she pursued an elective in Ecotoxicology, focusing on environmental contamination, toxicity testing and risk assessment.

Driven by her deep passion for Molecular Biology and Infectious disease research, Ms. Tshiswaka is particularly interested in the study of enteric viruses, an area that resonates strongly with her due to the significant disease burden these pathogens impose on underdeveloped regions. Her research interests lie in leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) and molecular epidemiology to enhance disease surveillance and support effective public health interventions across the African continent.

Ms. Tshiswaka is excited to be part of this innovation driven team at the UFS-NGS Unit, where she looks forward to gaining hands-on experience in viral genomics, bioinformatics, and pathogen surveillance. Under the mentorship of Prof. Nyaga, she is confident that this journey will shape her into a well-rounded and impactful researcher, contributing to the broader Ms.ion of advancing genomic science and global health equity.