Ms. Somila Nazo is a M.MedSc candidate at the University of the Free State Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS) Unit, and registered under the Division of Virology. She holds a B.Sc Medical Bioscience degree (University of Western Cape) and recently obtained her B.MedSc. Honors degree with specialization in Medical Microbiology and Virology (University of the Free State), where she investigated Tigecycline resistance determinants among Acinetobacter baumannii complex clinical isolates.

Her current research under the supervision of Prof. Martin Nyaga and Co-supervision of Dr. Ayodeji Ogunbayo focuses on Integrated Metagenomic Insights into Microbial Communities and Resistome Profile Analysis of Intensive Care Unit and Wastewater of Major Hospitals in the Free State Province. This study is funded by the National Research Foundation, the Poliomyelitis Research foundation, and  the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Ms. Somila expresses great enthusiasm for her involvement with the UFS-NGS team and is eager to acquire proficiency in NGS techniques, anticipating substantial personal and professional growth within the genomic-medical research field.