CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – WOMEN in the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis continue to make their country, families and themselves proud through their brilliance in the academic arena.
The most recent of these female scholars is Nevis-born scholar Yakini Saidah Abeni Brandy who, on Thursday, June 21. 2012, received her PhD degree in Organic/Medicinal Chemistry from Howard University.
Information reaching this publication states that Brandy’s doctoral research entailed the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of some new naphthoquinone analogs as potential chemotherapy for prostate cancer, from which she published two journal articles and was the co-author of three others.
Additional information further states that her naphthoquinone analogs were expanded to antiparasitic studies against trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. In vitro studies showed that a few of her compounds displayed significantly better antitrypanocidal activities, with four of them having selectivity indices 3-200 times greater than the standard drug (nifurtimox).
This study was patented for the synthesis of the molecules and their potential use in treating Chagas disease.
According to MedicineNet.com, Chagas disease is defined as “An infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Also called American rypanosomiasis. Transmitted by reduviid bugs, or kissing bugs, that live in cracks and holes of substandard housing primarily found in South and Central America. These insects become infected after biting an animal or person who already has Chagas disease. Infection is spread to humans when an infected bug deposits feces on a person's skin, usually while the person is sleeping at night. The person often accidently rubs the feces into the bite wound, an open cut, the eyes, or mouth. Infected mothers can pass infection to their baby during pregnancy, at delivery, or while breastfeeding”.
The young doctor was born to Lorna Brandy, a teacher at the Gingerland High School, and Laughton Brandy, former Junior Minister of Youth and Sports, Community Affairs, Community Education, Trade and Industry in the Concerned Citizen’s Movement-led Nevis Island Administration.
Her parents noted that she is no stranger to “great achievements”, having gained the best CXC passes on Nevis in 2001 before moving to the University of the Virgin Islands where she graduated magna cum laude with a BSc in Chemistry.
“She was involved in research at an early stage of her studies where she summer interned at the Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory in Washington State and at Texas A&M University. Her graduate studies began at Howard University in Fall 2006 as an organic chemist with a concentration in medicinal chemistry. She was privileged to further expand her knowledge as a summer intern at L’Oreal USA in 2011,” Brandy’s parents said.
The management and staff of SKNVibes join with the parents, other family members and friends of Dr. Yakini Saidah Abeni Brandy in congratulating her on her recent success and wish her well in all future endeavours.
