Nyasha Gondora, a Waterloo School of Pharmacy alum and 2020 PhD graduate was recognized for her contribution to community and profession, being honoured with the prestigious Canada’s 2024 Top 100 Black Women to Watch award. The award, presented by the Canada International Black Women Excellence, honours Black Canadian women who are changing their communities and careers.

Gondora’s journey involved moving from Zimbabwe to Texas to Kitchener-Waterloo – which gave her courage and a strong appreciation for the community. Gondora was the first Black PhD graduate of the UW School of Pharmacy in 2020. At Waterloo, she received eight awards and scholarships, some of which included the Special Merit Award for Substantial Impact on Pharmacy Research Mission and the Donald J. and Kathleen D. McDougall Graduate Scholarship. Gondora was also the first PhD student from the School of Pharmacy to win first place in the Three Minute Thesis competition by the Faculty of Science in 2017. 

The goal of Gondora’s PhD research was to comprehend the molecular processes that underlie how stress affects the brain. The study showed that stress has a sex-specific effect on the expression of particular neural receptors. Speaking about the importance of varied individuals coming together to learn from and benefit from one another’s experiences, Gondora attests to the close-knit community at Waterloo Pharmacy’s graduate program. 

Gondora was chosen for the Mitacs Canadian Scientific Policy Fellowship, which trains scientists in policy making to help shape the country’s scientific policy environment. She is currently employed at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research by the federal government, working on the clinical trials team as an analyst. 

Gondora used her love of mentoring at her position at BeMo Academic Consulting, with more than 750 people benefitting from her assistance in pursuit of postgraduate degrees. She currently serves on the board of Boy with a Ball, a nonprofit organization that empowers young people in marginalized communities. Gondora also spent three years on the Canadian Scientific and Christian Association’s (CSCA) national executive council. With 11 chapters spread across seven Canadian provinces, the CSCA is a science-based, faith-based organization. For the last four years, Gondora has been in charge of the CSCA Waterloo chapter.