Dr Msizi Innocent Mhlongo

Dr Msizi Innocent Mhlongo is a distinguished South African biochemist, metabolomics expert and academic leader, currently serving as Head of the Department of Biochemistry and senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg.

His research integrates 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies including LC-MS/GC-MS metabolomics, network pharmacology and machine learning into diverse areas such as plant-microbe interactions, microbial communication, plant defence priming and natural product drug discovery.

Dr Mhlongo holds a PhD in biochemistry from UJ (2020) and has authored over 29 peer-reviewed publications, achieving a Scopus h-index of 16 and Google Scholar h-index of 18. His work contributes directly to several UN Sustainable Development Goals including Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-Being, and Climate Action.

A committed educator, he has supervised nine MSc and one PhD student to completion, and currently mentors six Master’s and eight Doctoral candidates. He also serves as an editor for Metabolites and reviews for high-impact journals such as Nature Communications Biology and Scientific Reports.

His accolades include the S2A3 Bronze Medal and recognition as the Best MSc Student in Biochemistry. With a passion for innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence, he continues to shape the future of biochemical research in South Africa and beyond.