Dr. Murendeni Nethengwe is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Nuclear Medicine (Basic Translational Research group) at the University of Pretoria. Her research is mainly focused on the investigation of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants and their therapeutic effects in chronic diseases such cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Dr. Nethengwe completed her undergraduate and honors studies at the University of Stellenbosch and her master’s and doctoral studies at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), where she also obtained a certificate of participation in Life Coaching. She was a recipient of the NRF-DAAD scholarship through which she received training in health research and training at Hamburg University of applied Science (HAW-Hamburg). At two occasions (2022 and 2023), Dr. Nethengwe received the Vice Chancellor’s Prestigious award at CPUT. She has worked with the University of Cape Town Lung Institute (UCTLI) in clinical trials as a laboratory intern. She is also a Black Women in Science (BWIS) fellow and an ambassador for the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD). She is a member of the Golden Key and an international oral presentation award winner