Meet Mr Gerald van Eeden, a doctoral candidate within the TB Host Genetics Research Group at Stellenbosch University’s Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
In celebration of Youth Month 2020, the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics is paying tribute to young researchers within our institute. We share heart-warming stories of our students whose lives give us great hope for the future of South Africa. We thank these students for volunteering to tell us a little about themselves and their research.
Tell us briefly about your background?
I grew up in Pretoria.
Why did you choose your field of study – what or who inspired you? Is this what you envisioned for yourself growing up?
I chose my field of study because of my love for biology, computation and statistics.
What is your research focus on?
I am working on developing techniques to aid in epidemiological study of populations with complex ancestry.
How can your research help to improve Africa and/or the lives of its people?
Hopefully, it will enable a more efficient study of heritable diseases in populations with complex ancestry. Considering there are many populations with complex ancestry in Africa, my work has a lot of potential to improve genetic research in Africa. Albeit not directly.
What obstacles did you have to overcome to get where you are today?
I unexpectedly had to find ways in which to fund my tertiary education. Luckily the National Research Foundation (NRF) helped with the last two years.
If you could invite any three researchers (alive or dead; local or international) to a dinner party, who would you pick and why?
Marie Curie – she’s hardcore.
Ada Lovelace – she was the first programmer.
Nikola Tesla – he is the most prolific inventor of the last 200 years.
What is your favourite quote/saying?
“Listen, Morty, I hate to break it to you but what people call “love” is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It hits hard, Morty, then it slowly fades, leaving you stranded in a failing marriage. I did it. Your parents are gonna do it. Break the cycle, Morty. Rise above. Focus on science.” – Rick Sanchez
Any advice for young people who are considering a career in STEM?
Start early and read a lot.
What do you hope to achieve in the future?
I would like to eliminate the need to do admin. Maybe develop an AI to replace all admin jobs.