Research focus:

My research niche delves into the use of computational methods to elucidate the structural and mechanical properties of proteins involved in metabolic diseases. My current focus integrates molecular modeling, molecular dynamic simulations and bioinformatics techniques to chemically assess and optimize drug derivatives, as well as to identify biological targets and mechanisms of action of newly identified natural compounds.

Biography:

Pritika Ramharack is a Senior Scientist at the Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP) and appointed as an honorary Senior Lecturer at the School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prior to her appointment at the SAMRC, Dr Ramharack held a postdoctoral fellowship in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her NRF-funded doctoral study examined the structural characteristics of the Zika Virus through the use of in silico tools (2016), while her masters entailed the investigation of the anti-proliferative effects of popular statin drugs on lung adenocarcinoma cells (2015). As an early career scientist of a specialized niche within BRIP, one of Dr Ramharack’s goals is to broaden her research group within the unit and to build both national and international collaborations that will strengthen the understanding and use of in silico techniques in biomedical research.