Dr Melissa Nel

Neurogenomics Researcher, Director of the Clinical Omics and Informatics [COIN] Unit, Department of Medicine

Research Interests

I am the Director of the Clinical Omics and Informatics (COIN) Unit at the Neuroscience Institute, and a Wellcome Trust–funded principal investigator in clinical genomics. My research focuses on diagnosing rare neurological disorders in South Africans, using long-read genome sequencing and genome analysis carried out locally. I lead NeuroSeq, a study evaluating long-read whole genome sequencing as a first-line diagnostic test for undiagnosed neurological conditions. I am also a group leader in the African Bioinformatics Institute, where I chair its rare disease community of practice. My work is driven by a commitment to ensuring that South Africa’s diverse populations are included in, and benefit from, advances in precision medicine.

Research Areas

Neurogenetics • Neuroethics