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Prof. Hulda Shaidi Swai is a Professor in School of Life Science and Bio-engineering at The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST). She holds a PhD in Biomaterials, from Queen Mary’s College, University of London, UK, where she also worked for 9 years as a Researcher.
Prof. Swai instituted and headed up the Department of Science and Technology-(DST)/CSIR Pan-African Centre of Excellence in Applied Nanomedicine Research and Training, with a focus on infectious diseases of poverty. Research activities at the Centre aim to improve current therapeutic agents used in the treatment diseases like Tubercuolosis (TB) and Malaria. The platform comprises a multidisciplinary mix of 26 passionate researchers, most of whom she has supervised and/or mentored over the years.

Prof. Swai’s research on nanomedicine to improve current TB and Malaria drugs is currently undergoing preclinical development. The Malaria project has just been awarded R 110,000,000 equivalent (6,000,000 USD) by the World Health Organisation as a demonstrative project to prove the potential of Nanomedicine in PRD. This outcome is opening doors to more avenues for research on other neglected diseases and HIV.  She has an accumulated experience in research and innovation. In August 2015, Prof. Swai was among the 3 leading scientists in the world involved in reviewing the MSC in Nano science program in South Africa. Prof. Swai was also one of the leading scientist in developing the Master’s degree in Nanoscience curriculum/program in South Africa. The only MSc in nanoscience in the continent, she is now developing the same in NM-AIST for Eastern and Southern Africa through the World Bank funding. Her efforts have been recognised through numerous achievement awards and prizes like the CSIR President’s award, mentorship awards, career achievement awards, science and technology awards, etc. Prof. Swai is also well published scholar and is an accomplished international speaker; amongst others, she has secured audience and presented her work to the former President of South Africa (Mr. Thabo Mbeki), several high ranking government officials like the Ministers of Health and also minister of Science and Technology, the South Africa parliament. She has appeared on several magazine and newspaper covers, TV and radio shows in the continent. Prof. Swai also serves on several international expert committees, such as the EDCTP, TB Global Alliance, ISHReCA, UNECA, Erasmus Mundus Nanofar and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nano medicine, etc.

n the 2021 Research and Innovation of the University of Dar es Salaam, Prof. Swai will serve as one of the Keynote Speakers following her significant contribution of research and innovation in Nano science in Africa and globally.