Dr. Anathi Magadlela (University of KwaZulu-Natal) is a plant molecular biologist with a PhD from Stellenbosch University (2016). His research focuses on the functional and evolutionary aspects of plant-soil-microbe interactions during abiotic stress. Dr. Magadlela has been awarded multiple research grants by the National Research Foundation, South Africa, and was also awarded a Fulbright African Research Scholarship by the Council for International Exchange Scholars (CIES)/U.S. Department of State from September 2018 to March 2019, at the University of West Virginia. Dr. Magadlela is a member of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) and the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).