Biography
Dr. Deran Reddy
Operations Officer and co-founder
Dr Deran Reddy is a senior instrument scientist at the Microscopy and Microanalysis Unit (MMU) of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). It is here that he conducts structural biology research and assists academics / postgraduate students with their research using of various forms of microscopy which include, Light Microscopy, Fluorescence Microscopy, Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy, Electron Probe Microanalysis, HR Scanning Electron Microscopy, HR Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. He is also skilled in spectroscopy (EDS and XRD), microtomy, ultramicrotomy and cryo-ultramicrotomy, tomography (SBEM and TEM) and 3D reconstruction.
He obtained his PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2013 and became a post-doctoral fellow there until mid-2014, where he then took up
the post of a Senior Microscopy Technician. From there he became a visiting researcher to the University of California (San Diego) – CRBS, University of California (Los Angeles) – CNSI, Caltech (Pasadena), and the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) – Cell & Tissue Imaging Core, for the period 2014 -2015. Upon completion of this, he returned to the MMU at Wits to take up his current post.
In terms of research collaborations, he has established and maintained several. Internationally, with the University of California (San Diego) – CRBS and within South Africa, at the University of the Witwatersrand – School of Anatomical Sciences, School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, School of Computer Science & Applied Mathematics and School of Molecular & Cell Biology and the University of Johannesburg – Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology.
In 2017, Dr Reddy was made an honorary researcher in the School of Anatomical Sciences and holds this position to date. It is in this department that he conducts the primary portion of his research which involves studying the different respiratory systems of vertebrates. Reptiles and amphibians are the focus of attention but his research group frequently conducts investigations on birds and mammals. He has received research funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) for the periods, 2016 – 2018 and 2019 – 2021. Further, he has received a URC CAPEX grant in 2018.
With regard to membership of scientific bodies; he has affiliations to the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Royal Society of Southern Africa, the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa, the Microscopy Society of Southern Africa, is a co-founder and operations officer of the African Inclusive Microscopy Network. He has also been / is part of microscopy conference organising committees namely; FEMMS -2017, African Inclusive Microscopy Workshops (2020 and 2021) and the upcoming MSSA 2022 conference.