Nathaniel is a Lecturer and principal investigator for the Human and Systems Genetics Working Group in the Department of Genetics at Stellenbosch University (SU) in Cape Town. He’s a firm advocate for transparency in research between academia and the general public with the intention of reducing the stigmatism associated with scientific research, especially within his niche area of mental health. Nathaniel graduated with a BSc in Molecular Biology, a BSc Honours (Genetics), and an MSc (cum laude) in Human Genetics from SU. In 2014 he earned his PhD in Psychiatry (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) from the Department of Psychiatry at SU.
GINGER was the first program to bring neuroscientists, statistical geneticists, psychiatrists, biostatisticians, and data scientists to one place to train one another, and together. It helped me gain the skills to take a leadership role in investigating the causes of mental disorders, allowing me to build capacity in my home environment at multiple postgraduate degree levels.