Dr Nabila Ismail joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Stellenbosch University as a post-doctoral fellow early in 2019. She currently works as a research scientist in the same department. She achieved all three of her BSc, BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in Biochemistry cum laude from the University of Pretoria. Following this, she worked as a research assistant at the NICD Centre for Tuberculosis (a WHO supranational laboratory) where she was actively involved in whole genome sequencing of isolates received from the National Drug Resistance Survey. During this time, she also assisted with the standardization of bedaquiline MIC testing on solid media. She then pursued her PhD in Medical Microbiology through the University of Pretoria and in association with the NICD Centre for Tuberculosis. Her doctoral thesis focuses the use of whole genome sequencing on in vitro generated bedaquiline, clofazimine and linezolid resistant mutants to uncover the genetic basis of resistance. Her current research focuses on mechanisms of action to novel and repurposed anti-TB drugs and understanding genotypic and phenotypic concordance to forward TB diagnostics. She has supervised 3 MSc students in the past and currently supervises one PhD student, 2 Honors student and one MSc student. She has served as an examiner for PhD theses and as an SAMRC expert review panel member. She has authored 26 articles, 11 of which are first-author publications. She is an alumni of the Fulbright South African Research Scholar Program as well as the Nobel Lindau Laureate 2023 meeting. Dr Ismail received her NRF Y-rating in 2024.