Title: Mrs
First Name: Rito
Last Name: Mikhari-Chauke
Pronoun: She/ Her
Institution: National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Role: Bioinformatician for the bacterial division of the Centre for
Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis department
- What is your area of research?
Bacterial pathogen genomics and public health - What drew you to the field?
My desire to transition from ecological microbiology to medical
microbiology and involvement in issues of public health - What do you see as your discipline’s place in addressing global health
challenges, specifically the challenges in the global south?
Our research tries to tackle issues encountered in diagnostics of infectious diseases and even characterisation of vaccine variants and antimicrobial resistance, which is a global concern but also more of a concern in countries where resources are limited and training is needed continuously. - Tell us about one or two projects you’re working on right now.
Exploring metagenomic approaches for whole genome sequencing of meningitis bacterial pathogens - What’s your greatest professional ambition – the thing you didn’t tell the world
until this Q&A?
I would love for my name to be in the funding statement of scientific articles instead of the authors list - What’s the first thing you do when you step into the office in the morning?
I make coffee (very important) and go over my to-do list for the day/week - What is your favourite lunchtime meal?
A good chicken wrap - What do you do to get away from the office- your mental health escape?
Take a walk with my headphones on.
