Meet our Team: Mitchelle Mandaza

This month’s edition of our 'Meet Our Team' series features Mitchelle Mandaza, a dedicated PhD researcher at CMAC.

Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, Mitchelle has had an interest in biology and forensics since she was in high school. Although her trajectory was slightly altered along the way, this is what led Mitchelle to pursue an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Pharmacology, followed by the completion of an MSc in Advanced Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Strathclyde.

After graduating, Mitchelle joined Lonza as a QC Analyst. However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she began seeking new career opportunities before starting CMAC’s PhD programme in June of 2020.

As a PhD researcher in crystallisation, Mitchelle’s work focuses on digital design strategies for industrial crystallisation. In this role, she evaluates active pharmaceutical ingredient properties and crystalliser hydrodynamics for process scale-up. She said:

“My role is important to CMAC as it contributes to advancing the understanding and application of digital design strategies in industrial crystallisation. This research aims to improve pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, support CMAC's research excellence, and align with the strategic goals of the EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub Programme.”

Mitchelle with CMAC staff and students at Summer School 2022

Mitchelle’s routine varies day to day, using her morning commute to catch up on emails, review research papers, mentally plan experiments, or listen to relevant podcasts. She then conducts experiments in the lab or simulations (using computational fluid dynamics software) related to crystallisation, analyses data, and discusses progress with her supervisors and collaborates with other researchers.

Whenever possible, she networks with peers or takes a brief walk to clear her mind. At the end of the day, she dedicates time to analysing experimental data, interpreting results, and troubleshooting issues. She also writes thesis chapters and updates her post-graduate certificate files. In the afternoons, she typically meets with her supervisors and the research group or attends seminars and workshops.

Mitchelle recently delivered a presentation at the BACG2024 conference, which she regrets not doing earlier in her PhD, as she found it a challenging experience that left her motivated to pursue more speaking engagements. She enjoys working at CMAC, claiming:

“The people at CMAC make the organisation great. There is a strong work ethic, and everyone is supportive and willing to collaborate.”

In her spare time, Mitchelle enjoys road trips, camping, reading, having a barbecue, and socialising. Her weekends are usually packed with activities for her three energetic children, including attending music lessons in Edinburgh, visiting museums, football training, matches and spending time with family.