Curriculum vitae

EDUCATION

2000 – 2003: University of Stellenbosch, Bachelors Degree of Science (Bsc), Biodiversity and Ecology, (Functional Biology/ Zoölogy and Botany)

2004: University of Stellenbosch, Honours (BscMedScHons), Medical Biochemistry, Tygerberg Campus

2005 - 2008: University of Stellenbosch, Masters Degree of Science (Msc), Medical Biochemistry, Tygerberg Campus

2009 – 2013: University of the Western Cape, Doctor of Philosophy (PHD), South African National Bioinformatic Institute (SANBI), Faculty of Natural Sciences.

TRAINING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

  • 2008: Presentation Skills Workshop, held at the MRC, South Africa sponsored by the NRF.

  • 2009-2012: Student representative, South African National Bioinformatic Institute (SANBI), University of the Western Cape

  • 2009: Protein Structure Prediction Workshop, Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, 26th-29th August 2009 in Hungary

  • 15Feb 2010 – 01April 2010: Seven week Introductory Bioinformatic course, Centre for High Performance Computing Training Lab, CSIR campus, Rosebank, Cape Town

  • 10 -28 January 2011: Comparative modeling and Molecular Docking, three weeks training in Valencia, Spain, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe


  • Towards the Professionalization of Teaching and Learning at the University of the Western Cape started on the 27 July 2018. Please find a link to my electronic Teaching and Learning Portfolio: https://sites.google.com/uwc.ac.za/eportfolioofdrrubencloete/home?authuser=1


  • Publication Writing: Research Integrity & Publications”. Hosted by The Department of Research Development: 19 September 2019 at SOPH, 1H, UWC. Presenters: Prof B Fielding (Research Office), and Mr Mark Snyders & Ms Pelisa Vanda (Library).


  • An Early career and Emerging Researchers Workshop: How to write a successful grant application. Hosted by The Department of Research Development: 23 September 2019 at Chemical Science Building, Level 3, Room 3.08.2, UWC. Presenters: Prof Shaun Pather, Dr Marique Aucamp and Dr Rachel Ajayi.

EXPERIENCE

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2003: Laboratory assistent, Zoology department (University of Stellenbosch)

2004: Summer intern, Center for Human Genetics Research and Education (GENRED), Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Stellenbosch

2007: Research assistent, Prostate Cancer Genetics group, Department of Urology, Tygerberg Campus, University of Stellenbosch

2008/2009: Technical laboratory assistent, DST/NRF internship program, Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Stellenbosch

2014-2016: Post doctorate fellow, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape

2017: Affiliate student/Research Assistant, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape

2018-current: nGAP Lecturer, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

  • Workshop on molecular modeling and drug design (August 2-7, 2010). University of Hyderabad. Awarded best poster.

  • Awarded Technology innovation Agency seed funding 8 March 2016 for R412, 000.

  • Best PhD poster UWC research open day, 2017.

  • Recipient of the Newton British Council Travel Grant, 4 August-4 September 2019.

  • Awarded Poliomyelitis research funding 2019 for R105, 000.


TEACHING

  • H3ABIONET instructor on Protein structural bioinformatics (07-15 September, 2016) for 350 students located at different classrooms around Africa. The Mconf conferencing system was used.

  • Topics included: Comparative protein structure modeling and molecular docking

  • Lecturer on the Bioinformatics training course 2017/2018/2019 held at the South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape.

  • Workshop on predicting the effects of mutations/nsSNP’s on protein structure using Homology Modeling, Gibbs free energy calculation webservers (SDM and mCSM) and Interaction analysis. University of the Western Cape, South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI), South Africa. (28 – 30 August 2017).

  • Lecturer and coordinator of the Biotechnology 315 3rd year Bioinformatics module for 2018/2019/2020/2021 at the University of the Western Cape. Teaching module Comparative Genomics.

  • Lecturer on Protein Structure Biology and Comparative Protein Structure Modeling for the BSc Honours Molecular Pathology module at the Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University for 2020 and 2021.


MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES IN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Scientific program chair of the 2017 ISCB-Africa ASBCB Bioinformatics Conference: Involved in organizing and overseeing the scientific submission review and programming for the conference. https://www.iscb.org/iscbafrica2017

Member: H3ABionet is a Pan African Bioinformatics Network for the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) consortium (2018 till now): https://www.h3abionet.org/


Program committee member: ISCB Africa ASBCB Conference on Bioinformatics in Kumasi, Ghana, November 11 - 15, 2019. Assisted with reviewing manuscripts submitted for consideration as oral presentations and included in the online proceedings. https://www.iscb.org/iscbafrica2019.


Secretary: South African Society for Bioinformatics (2018-2021): Arrange Bioinformatics speakers for the Virtual Seminar series, provide content for the bi-monthly journal and attract new members to the Society. Also involved in planning the SASBi/SAGS conference 2022 and inviting the keynote speaker as well as setting up the conference workshop. http://sasbi.weebly.com/council-2018-2020.html


ISCB/ASBCB 2021 member and Program committee member: The job of Program Committee members is to help review manuscripts submitted for consideration as oral presentations and included in the online proceedings. https://www.iscb.org/iscbafrica2021-prosched/iscbafrica2021-workshops

UWC Comittee member: SANBI Department representative at Science faculty teaching and learning committee meetings.

JOURNAL REVIEWER

1) Heliyon: peer-reviewed open access scientific journal with an impact factor of 1.857. Highly cited Q1 journal based on Scimago journal and country rank score (https://www.scimagojr.com).

2) Bioinformatics and Biology Insights: is a peer-reviewed open access academic journal focusing on the application of bioinformatics to biological research with an impact factor of 2.06. Q2 rated journal based on Scimago journal and country rank score (https://www.scimagojr.com).