Associate Professor Nastassja Koen

Associate Prof Nastassja Koen’s research interests include the genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic neurobiology, and transgenerational effects of trauma-related disorders, particularly in South Africa and Africa, e.g. in the Drakenstein Child Health Study, a local birth cohort study. She has published more than 65 peer-reviewed papers and nine book chapters, and is currently NRF Y1-rated. She is committed to mentorship and capacity building. In addition to mentoring a number of postgraduates/postdoctoral Fellows, she supervises two PhD candidates (co-supervising a third), and one Master’s candidate. She co-supervised one Honours and two PhDs to completion. A/Prof Koen has received a number of competitive awards and accolades including the South African Medical Association Young Leaders Doctors’ Award: Research; the SAMRC Clinician Researcher Programme PhD Scholarship in Clinical Research; and the Biological Psychiatry Special Interest Group Research Career Award. She previously appeared on the Mail and Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans list.