Dr Sadhna Mathura is nominated for her dedication to multi-disciplinary scientific approaches, and for her teaching passion.

Sadhna obtained her Doctorate in Bioinorganic Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) for her significant contribution to the understanding of vitamin B12 and cobalt chemistry. Her work was recognised through several Doctoral scholarships and 3 publications. She provided quality Chemistry training to 3 postgrad students, and well over a 100 undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to further their Chemistry career.

Her Masters (cum laude) was awarded for her innovation in Genetics and Forestry; she used her Chemistry knowledge to develop diagnostics for identifying invasive black wattle species. Her multi-disciplinary mind-set equipped her to find relationships between chlorophyll content in leaves, and their chromosomal content. She obtained 4 publications here.

Her Structural Biochemistry postdoc used Physical Chemistry to investigate the mechanism of detoxification protein hGSTP1-1. This work contributes to the larger body of research on anticancer drug resistance. Her findings were presented at the 30th Annual Protein Society Symposium in Maryland, USA.

Currently, Sadhna is a sessional Lecturer at Wits University and is developing a project that relies on her knowledge of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Genetics. She aims to investigate Bilirubin Chemistry as it pertains to neonatal jaundice. Neonatal jaundice affects over 60% of all newborns and there is a need for better diagnostic technology.

It is in these ways that she supports the IUPAC Core Values and the Sustainable Development vision.