Valerie Mizrahi
Valerie Mizrahi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 Salisbury, Rhodesia (present-day Harare, Zimbabwe) |
| Occupation | Molecular biologist |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Known for | Tuberculosis research |
Valerie Mizrahi FRS (born 1958) is a molecular biologist from South Africa, renowned for her expertise in tuberculosis research.
Biography
Mizrahi was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (present-day Harare, Zimbabwe) and comes from a Sephardi Jewish lineage with roots tracing back to the Greek island of Rhodes.
Career
She obtained her BSc degrees in chemistry and mathematics, followed by a PhD in chemistry, all from the University of Cape Town. Between 1983 and 1986, Mizrahi completed postdoctoral studies at Pennsylvania State University. Subsequently, she entered pharmaceutical research and development at Smith, Kline & French. In 1989, she established a research division at the South African Institute for Medical Research in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand, concentrating on tuberculosis therapies and mechanisms of drug resistance up until 2010. Since 2011, she has served as director of the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town and heads its Centre of Excellence in Biomedical TB Research, supported by the South African Medical Research Council.
Her distinguished career has been recognized through multiple honors such as the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2000, the Gold Medal from the South African Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2006, and the Order of Mapungubwe in 2007. Mizrahi was affiliated with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as an International Research Scholar from 2000 to 2010 and later as a Senior International Research Scholar from 2012 to 2017. In 2013, she received the Christophe Mérieux Prize for her contributions to tuberculosis research. She holds fellowships with the Royal Society of South Africa, the Academy of Science of South Africa, the American Academy of Microbiology, and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2023.
Honours and awards
- 2000: L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science
- 2007: Order of Mapungubwe - Silver
- 2013: Christophe Mérieux Prize
- 2018: Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award
- 2023: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
Personal life
Valerie Mizrahi is a mother to two daughters and was raised speaking Judeo-Spanish within her household. Her father holds the position of honorary president at the Johannesburg Sephardic Hebrew Congregation.
Publications
- Effects of Pyrazinamide on Fatty Acid Synthesis by Whole Mycobacterial Cells and Purified Fatty Acid Synthase I. Helena I. Boshoff, Valerie Mizrahi, Clifton E. Barry. Journal of Bacteriology, 2002
- The impact of drug resistance on Mycobacterium tuberculosis physiology: what can we learn from rifampicin?. Anastasia Koch, Valerie Mizrahi, Digby F Warner. Emerging Microbes & Infections, 2014