Doctoral Graduate Drawn to “Intricate World of Medicines” as Young Student

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Born and raised in a small village in India, Dr Baji Baba Shaik’s progression from a humble government school in his home country to being awarded a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry shows the character of the man. 

Shaik always believed in the power of science to transform lives and as a young student he was drawn to the intricate world of medicines, how they are discovered, how they function in the human body and their immense potential to save lives. 

‘During my integrated master’s degree, I was captivated by drug synthesis, pharmacokinetics and the full lifecycle of medicines,’ he recalled. ‘However, what truly pushed me into research was witnessing the devastating impact of infectious diseases such as dengue, swine flu and typhoid which ravaged communities in India. Later, the global crisis of TB and HIV co-infection drove home the urgency of my mission.’ 

Under the mentorship of Professor Rajshekhar Karpoormath of UKZN’s College of Health Sciences and co-supervisors Professor Parvesh Singh and Professor Muhammad Bala of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, Shaik embarked on a cutting-edge research journey. 

His doctoral research focused on synthesising novel quinazoline and quinoline derivatives, targeting drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, evaluating antimicrobial properties against bacteria and fungi, and inhibiting Mtb DNA gyrase, a key enzyme required for bacterial DNA replication. ‘Several compounds showed strong activity with inhibition values ranging from 0.03 to 1.5 µM and potent enzyme inhibition in the nanomolar range,’ he explained. Some of these promising results are now being published in international journals, and a patent filing is underway. 

Shaik contributes to drug discovery efforts as an institute-funded postdoctoral fellow at Dr Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS) in Hyderabad, India. He continues to explore novel therapeutic compounds that could revolutionise treatment for TB and other infectious diseases. 

Looking ahead, Shaik aspires to become a professor or scientist at a leading university or research institute. His passion is two-fold - to develop lifesaving treatments and to mentor and inspire the next generation of researchers. 

‘I want to build a space where curiosity, innovation and collaboration thrive. A place where science truly serves humanity,’ he said. 

In his spare time Shaik enjoys playing cricket, drawing and reading books, activities that help him unwind and reconnect with himself. 

He thanked his supervisors at UKZN. ‘Professors Karpoormath, Singh and Bala - thank you. Your belief in me, especially during my toughest moments, carried me through. I’ll always treasure your mentorship.’ He also thanked the South African National Research Foundation for funding his studies.

Words: MaryAnn Francis

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini