Hello, I’m Kalonji, and I work at the intersection of Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, and Data Science.

My academic background spans biomedicine, bioinformatics, microbiology, and molecular biology, with experience in both wet-lab experiments and computational research. I have worked on omics across various systems from bacteria to humans, and specialise in multi-omics of microbial communities. Currently, I am focusing on human genetics to inform precision medicine in the future, with particular emphasis on contributing to the underrepresented genetics of African populations.

Through developing computational frameworks for population-scale datasets, I aim to contribute insights that could inform targeted therapies and improved patient outcomes. I also apply these computational skills to solve other real-world data-related problems.

Outside of work, I enjoy capturing images with both film and digital cameras, playing musical instruments, and travelling.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Molecular Biology (2024) — University of the Witwatersrand
• Master of Science in Molecular Biology with Distinction (2021) — University of the Witwatersrand
• Bachelor of Science Honours in Microbiology and Biotechnology (2018) — University of the Witwatersrand
• Postgraduate Diploma in Scientific Studies (2017) — University of the Witwatersrand
• Bachelor of Science in Biomedicine (2013–2015) — Eduvos (Previously: Midrand Graduate Institute)

Skills

• Advanced proficiency in:
  • Next generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis
  • Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) data analysis
  • Big biological and OMICS data analysis
• Programming:

  • Python

    R

    SQL

    Bash scripting

  • Git

    Linux

    Docker

    HTML

    CSS

• Molecular biology techniques:
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
  • Gel electrophoresis
  • Nucleic acid extraction
  • Protein extraction and purification
  • Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)
  • Microbial cell culture

Certifications & Training

• Prompting Essentials — Google AI certification (2025)
• Proteomics concepts and data analysis — Ubuntu Proteomics Summer School (2023)
• Genome resolved metagenomics — EMBL-EBI (2022)
• 16S Microbiome intermediate training — H3ABioNet (2021)
• Linux Course for Life Scientists — ACGT (2020)
• Data science training — CODATA Research Data Summer School (2020)
• Introduction to Bioinformatics (IBT) — H3ABioNet (2019)

Awards

• Global Young Scientist Summit 2025 — Selected to present my research
• Alex von Holy Prize 2024 — Best PhD student in Microbiology (Wits University)
• Best Oral Speaker (2nd Place) — South African Society of Microbiology
• Youth & Anticipation Award 2023 — Geneva Science Diplomacy and Anticipation
• Most Perspicuous Lecturer for 3rd Years 2023 — Faculty of Applied Science (Eduvos)
• Most Perspicuous Lecturer for 2nd Years 2023 — Faculty of Applied Science (Eduvos)
• Most Relatable Lecturer for 2nd Years 2023 — Faculty of Applied Science (Eduvos)
• Alex von Holy Prize 2023 — Best PhD student in Microbiology (Wits University)
• Best Poster Prize — Ubuntu Proteomics Summer School 2023
• Golden Key Top Achiever — Wits University
• Wits University Postgraduate Merit Award
• National Research Foundation (NRF) Doctoral Scholarship

Photo Gallery

Serra da Estrela, Portugal.

Visited CERN.

First international conference, Hamburg.