PhD in Pharmaceutics Milestone in Life of Sudanese Student

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Dr Mohammed Ali Gafar Mohammed graduated with a PhD in Pharmaceutics at UKZN marking a milestone not just in his life but for the hopes of many future pharmacists and scientists in his home country, Sudan. 

He was supervised by Professor Thirumala Govender. 

Growing up in a community where educational opportunities were often scarce and most peers did not pursue Higher Education, Mohammed stood out, not just for his intelligence, but for his resilience.

 ‘My father was my inspiration. He constantly encouraged me to keep going in an environment where continuing education was not the norm,’ he said. 

Mohammed's doctoral research addressed one of the world’s most pressing health threats - antimicrobial resistance and bacterial sepsis, especially its devastating impact in sub-Saharan Africa. 

His PhD focused on the design and synthesis of biomimetic nanosystems - tiny, engineered drug delivery vehicles that mimic biological systems to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics. ‘Bacterial sepsis has a high morbidity and mortality rate. I wanted to find a way to make antibiotics work more efficiently in fighting it,’ he explained. 

During his study, he successfully developed two antibiotic-loaded nanosystems which were tested both in vitro and in vivo in a mouse model of sepsis. Results showed significant inhibition of bacterial growth and a reduction in the hyperinflammatory response typically associated with sepsis. 

Over the course of his PhD, Mohammed co-authored more than 15 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including three first-author papers in prestigious Q1 journals. 

He currently works as a research assistant at the Novel Drug Delivery Proto Unit (NDDU), within UKZN’s Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences where he continues to contribute to cutting-edge drug delivery research. 

However, his heart remains in Sudan. ‘My dream is to return to Sudan and give back to my country. I plan to resume my role as a lecturer of Pharmaceutics at the University of Khartoum and apply what I’ve learned here in teaching and research,’ he said. 

Away from his work, Mohammed finds solace in the world of words. A lover of poetry, to listen to and occasionally write, he carries a gentle artistic soul beneath his scientific prowess. 

He thanked his supervisors and colleagues at NDDU and UKZN, as well as the Sudanese community in Durban, who offered him support and a sense of home during his studies.

Words: MaryAnn Francis

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini