Professor Mahmoud Soliman.New Dean and Head of School of Health Sciences Appointed
Professor Mahmoud Soliman has been appointed as the new Dean and Head of the School of Health Sciences.
Soliman is the Leader and Principle Investigator of the Molecular Modelling and Drug design research lab, which is located in the School. The lab focuses on the study of biological systems, drug-receptor interactions and the design of novel drug candidates and their mechanism of action
His research interest is related to the design and study of biologically and therapeutically oriented targets by employing the applications of computational methods to the study of problems of chemical and biochemical reactivity.
Soliman was pleased with his appointment: ‘The School of Health Sciences is one of the most innovative health education programmes in the country,’ he said. ‘It has educational facilities fitted with state-of-the-art technology and our curriculum promotes learning through utilisation of the best educational approaches and sound teaching principles. Our classes are taught by highly qualified staff who bring academic and clinical expertise to the classroom.’
He said with the engagement with community partners across the country, the School provided innovative, academic and clinical experiences so that its graduates were well-equipped to meet the demands of the competitive healthcare marketplace.
‘It is my commitment to continue to shape the School with a vision and mission embraced by our exceptional staff members, our students and our community,’ said Soliman.
Soliman’s Molecular Modelling and Drug Design lab was awarded various grants and financial support from the National Research Foundation, the School of Health Sciences and the Centre for High Performance Computing in Cape Town (CHPC) to enhance research at UKZN in drug design and modelling areas.
He graduated from a Pharmacy school in Egypt, and then completed his postgraduates studies (Mphil, PhD) at the University of Bath in United Kingdom. He joined the School of Health Sciences in 2011 as a Senior Lecturer of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
Soliman has two children aged seven and 10. ‘My wife and two kids always support me and share my success.’
Nombuso Dlamini