Are we suppressing one of Mother Nature's oldest and most effective bug-fighting mechanisms by force-feeding patients when they have lost their appetite during an infection?

A Phd student in physiological sciences from Stellenbosch University, Gustav van Niekerk, argues this might be the case and is calling for a reassessment of this standard medical practice.

In an article published in the high-impact journal Autophagy this week (6 April 2016), Van Niekerk and researchers from the Department of Physiological Sciences at SU argue that appetite loss during infection or sickness has a very important function. And that is to enhance the ability of cells to perform autophagy, a process which literally means "eating of self".

Under normal circumstances the cells in your body use autophagy (a kind of cellular 'recycling process plant') to clear the garbage generated by the wear and tear of the parts in a cell. Through autophagy, the cell is able to recycle the debris or junk that could otherwise have caused damage to the cell.

The degraded material is then used as fuel to generate new parts. In other words, all the cells in your body are continuously being regenerated in order to function optimally.

Van Niekerk and co-authors argue that short-term fasting during an infection can be beneficial, since cells which are deprived of nutrients are forced to upregulate the recycling process (autophagy). In turn, bacteria and viruses invading the cell can be degraded by the very same recycling process (see Figure 1).

Van Niekerk explains: "The immune system is often seen as the 'army', while 'normal' cells such as liver cells and neurons are seen as 'civilians'. In this view, invading bacteria or viruses harm the 'unarmed civilian' while the 'military' (the immune system) are dedicated to fight off an infection."

However, 'normal' cells are not quite as defenceless.

"We argue that an upregulated autophagy acts as a cell's self-defence mechanism and that it plays a critical role in the body's immune system.

"In this way, 'civilian' cells are in fact acting like 'partisan forces' halting the spread of the infection while the 'professional forces' (immune cells) are mobilised."

Prof. Anna-Mart Engelbrecht, head of the Department of Physiological Sciences and one of the co-authors, says this new way of understanding the role of autophagy has important implications for the medical field: "It has also been shown that cancer patients who fasted before chemotherapy experienced less harmful side effects usually induced by chemotherapy such as fatigue, weakness, headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea."

Firstly, the researchers argue for a re-evaluation of nutritional support in the context of controlled underfeeding, where enhanced autophagy may provide superior support.

Upregulating autophagy may also have additional benefits. Chunks of bacteria and viruses processed by the cell's recycling plant can also be passed on to immune cells. In turn, the immune cells can be 'trained' to recognise the bacteria and viruses and form antibodies against them. This would suggest that upregulating of the recycling plant (autophagy) may be an effective way to enhance vaccine efficacy.

The researchers stress, however, that shorter-term nutritional withdrawal should not be confused with the well-established immune-inhibiting effect of long-term starvation. They also point out that there are a number of circumstances in which nutritional supplementation may provide a therapeutic benefit. As an example, some pathogens are able to 'hi-jack' certain steps in the autophagic proses. Therefore, evaluating patients according to pathogen-type may indicate infections in which permissive underfeeding as opposed to aggressive supplementation may prove more effective.

The co-authors on the article are Prof. Anna-Mart Engelbrecht, Dr. Ben Loos and Dr Theo Nell. The work was supported by the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Figure 1. The cellular process of autophagy play a critical 'housekeeping' function (A) but is also utilised for immune function (B). In this example (A), the cell 'targets' a protein by painting it with a kind of molecule which designates the protein for degradation, followed by the formation of a membrane that 'engulfs' the protein. As a result, the protein becomes 'isolated' from the rest of the cell. Then, other vesicles which contain a cocktail of digestive enzymes fuse with the protein-containing vesicle. As a result, the protein gets "chopped-up" into amino acids which can then again be used by the cell. The same 'autophagic machinery' used to digest cellular components are also used to degrade bacteria (B). Graphic: Gustav van Niekerk

Contact details

Prof. Anna-Mart Engelbrecht

T: 021 808-4573

E: ame@sun.ac.za

Mr. Gustav van Niekerk

M: 076 801 7048 

E: 14088576@sun.ac.za

Issued by Wiida Fourie, media: Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, science@sun.ac.za, 021 8082684, 071099 5721​

Thursday's Varsity Athletics final in Stellenbosch served as the perfect curtain-raiser for the SA Senior Track and Field Championships as athletes gave the crowd a taste of what they can expect next week.

The country's top athletes will be targeting national titles and Olympic qualifying marks at the national championships to be held at Coetzenburg on 15 and 16 April.

If there was ever any doubt that the men's long jump competition is one of the strongest events in South Africa, then Ruswahl Samaai of UJ settled the matter with his 8.20m jump at the Varsity Athletics meet in Stellenbosch on 7 April. Samaai led a UJ clean sweep in the long jump, with Dylan Cotter second (7.76m) and Peter Makgato third (7.48m), and showed that there will be a fierce battle for available Olympic spots.

Another big draw card on the night was NWU-Pukke athlete Caster Semenya, who powered to a 53.16s win in the 400m. Semenya is looking for fast times at the national championships where she will be competing in the 400m/800m double.

Maties' Justine Palframan, who won the 200m at the UJ leg of Varsity Athletics, had to withdraw from the 400m on Thursday due to an injury scare. However, Maties' Shaun de Jager withstood strong competition to win the 400m for men, completing the race in 46.35s.

The "grudge" match-up between Gezelle Magerman (Tuks) and Jean-Maré Senekal (Maties) in the 400m hurdles lived up to its billing as not even half a second separated the two athletes. At the UJ leg on 18 March, a slight stumble before the final hurdle cost Magerman the win but this time round she left nothing to chance, winning the race in 58.52s to Senekal's 58.86s.

Other podium highlights for Maties include Karla Bronn (silver – high jump), Cameron Donkin (silver – discus), Janke van Wyk (silver – 100m hurdles), Kwezi Mtoba (silver – triple jump), Marcel Maree (bronze – high jump), Nienka du Toit (bronze – shotput) and Samantha Pretorius (bronze – long jump).

The women's relay team of Senekal, Van Wyk, Shannon Arendse and Pretorius took silver in the 4x100m relay event.

Since the inception of Varsity Athletics, the University of Pretoria has dominated the overall competition. In 2015 they had to share the spoils with Pukke. This time, though, UJ came out tops with a total of 15 510 points to the 15 298 points of the defending champions. Pukke had to settle for third (15 173 points). 

Photo credit: Stefan Els

Are we suppressing one of Mother Nature's oldest and most effective bug-fighting mechanisms by force-feeding patients when they have lost their appetite during an infection?

A Phd student in physiological sciences from Stellenbosch University, Gustav van Niekerk, argues this might be the case and is calling for a reassessment of this standard medical practice.

In an article published in the high-impact journal Autophagy this week (6 April 2016), Van Niekerk and researchers from the Department of Physiological Sciences at SU argue that appetite loss during infection or sickness has a very important function. And that is to enhance the ability of cells to perform autophagy, a process which literally means "eating of self".

Under normal circumstances the cells in your body use autophagy (a kind of cellular 'recycling process plant') to clear the garbage generated by the wear and tear of the parts in a cell. Through autophagy, the cell is able to recycle the debris or junk that could otherwise have caused damage to the cell.

The degraded material is then used as fuel to generate new parts. In other words, all the cells in your body are continuously being regenerated in order to function optimally.

Van Niekerk and co-authors argue that short-term fasting during an infection can be beneficial, since cells which are deprived of nutrients are forced to upregulate the recycling process (autophagy). In turn, bacteria and viruses invading the cell can be degraded by the very same recycling process (see Figure 1).

Van Niekerk explains: "The immune system is often seen as the 'army', while 'normal' cells such as liver cells and neurons are seen as 'civilians'. In this view, invading bacteria or viruses harm the 'unarmed civilian' while the 'military' (the immune system) are dedicated to fight off an infection."

However, 'normal' cells are not quite as defenceless.

"We argue that an upregulated autophagy acts as a cell's self-defence mechanism and that it plays a critical role in the body's immune system.

"In this way, 'civilian' cells are in fact acting like 'partisan forces' halting the spread of the infection while the 'professional forces' (immune cells) are mobilised."

Prof. Anna-Mart Engelbrecht, head of the Department of Physiological Sciences and one of the co-authors, says this new way of understanding the role of autophagy has important implications for the medical field: "It has also been shown that cancer patients who fasted before chemotherapy experienced less harmful side effects usually induced by chemotherapy such as fatigue, weakness, headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea."

Firstly, the researchers argue for a re-evaluation of nutritional support in the context of controlled underfeeding, where enhanced autophagy may provide superior support.

Upregulating autophagy may also have additional benefits. Chunks of bacteria and viruses processed by the cell's recycling plant can also be passed on to immune cells. In turn, the immune cells can be 'trained' to recognise the bacteria and viruses and form antibodies against them. This would suggest that upregulating of the recycling plant (autophagy) may be an effective way to enhance vaccine efficacy.

The researchers stress, however, that shorter-term nutritional withdrawal should not be confused with the well-established immune-inhibiting effect of long-term starvation. They also point out that there are a number of circumstances in which nutritional supplementation may provide a therapeutic benefit. As an example, some pathogens are able to 'hi-jack' certain steps in the autophagic proses. Therefore, evaluating patients according to pathogen-type may indicate infections in which permissive underfeeding as opposed to aggressive supplementation may prove more effective.

The co-authors on the article are Prof. Anna-Mart Engelbrecht, Dr. Ben Loos and Dr Theo Nell. The work was supported by the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Figure 1. The cellular process of autophagy play a critical 'housekeeping' function (A) but is also utilised for immune function (B). In this example (A), the cell 'targets' a protein by painting it with a kind of molecule which designates the protein for degradation, followed by the formation of a membrane that 'engulfs' the protein. As a result, the protein becomes 'isolated' from the rest of the cell. Then, other vesicles which contain a cocktail of digestive enzymes fuse with the protein-containing vesicle. As a result, the protein gets "chopped-up" into amino acids which can then again be used by the cell. The same 'autophagic machinery' used to digest cellular components are also used to degrade bacteria (B). Graphic: Gustav van Niekerk

Contact details

Prof. Anna-Mart Engelbrecht

T: 021 808-4573

E: ame@sun.ac.za

Mr. Gustav van Niekerk

M: 076 801 7048 

E: 14088576@sun.ac.za

Issued by Wiida Fourie, media: Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, science@sun.ac.za, 021 8082684, 071099 5721​

​Two Food Science students, Emma van der Merwe and Lara Moller, were the top achievers from the Faculty of AgriSciences invited to the University's annual prestige evening for first year students.

The event was held at Neethlingshof, and celebrated the academic achievements of those who completed their first year in 2015. The top achievers from the various faculties were invited to attend. The students also had an opportunity to nominate a lecturer who has made a positive impact on their first year at Stellenbosch University.

Emma hails from the Boland and matriculated from Worcester Gymnasium. She is excited about the possibilities that her career as a food scientist holds, and hopes to make a difference in people's lives through it.

Emma nominated her chemistry lecturer, Dr Gareth Arnott. "He made chemistry fun and understandable and always managed to maintain a positive energy while lecturing," she explains.

Lara comes from Durban and matriculated from Westville Girls' High. About her choice to follow Food Science, she says: "I feel like I have found a way to combine science and yet still impact the people around me. This is exciting for the people's person I am."

She says the energy, jokes and support of one of her first year lecturers, Prof Pieter Gouws, has had a huge impact on her, and has helped her to succeed.

Prof Gouws says it was an honour to be acknowledges as such. "It reminded me again of the important task that every lecturer has."

Close to 100 students from Stellenbosch University gathered on the Rooiplein today (8 April 2016) at 12:30 to break a five day silent protest against rape and sexual crimes.

The student movement, #RedtAPE have taped their mouths shut the past week in solidarity with the victims of rape and sexual violence whose voices are often not heard or who are too scared or ashamed to speak about what had happened to them.  

This protest is one of many similar actions taken on campus by students the past weeks in relation to rape and rape culture on campus. It also comes after the rape of a resident of Heemstede last weekend and an earlier incident at Harmonie Women's Residence where a student was attacked and raped.

Lea Koekemoer, one of the organisers of the #RedtAPE movement, made an appeal to students to sign a petition in which management is requested to improve safety measures on campus. "This petition will circulate at residences on campus and will probably also be available on social media. gevra word om veiligheidsmaatreëls op kampus te verskerp," Koekemoer said.

She further said some of their requests include patrols and transport along the cluster routes, panic buttons for students, a bigger security presence on campus and a toll free crisis line that victims of sexual crimes can use.

"If we can prevent one rape through this (the protest), it was worth it," she said at the gathering.

Ashanti Kunene performed one of her poems in which she reiterated the fact that No means No. The SU Choir officially broke the silence with a moving rendition of the traditional African song, Indodana.

​ 

​

A new unit to support Masters of Medicine (MMed) students with research projects was recently established at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS). 

The new MMed Unit of the Research Development and Support Division (RDSD) will also assist in strengthening capacity for supervisors in clinical research.

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) requires MMed candidates to complete a research component to qualify and register as a medical specialist in South Africa. According to Prof Nico Gey van Pittius, the Deputy Dean of Research at the FMHS, this poses a challenge in the clinical environments for a number of reasons.

“Both the specialist trainees and their supervisors have to invest a significant amount of time whilst already faced with high patient loads. Furthermore, most MMed students have never done any or very little research and they therefore need to improve their research skills,” he explained. 

“This is a significant problem, because students who do not submit their research component at the end of their studies cannot be awarded the MMed degree and cannot register as specialists with the HPCSA.” 

Distinguished Professor Robert Gie, who retired from the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the end of last year, was appointed as head of the new MMed Unit.

“Prof Gie is a well-known and respected clinician researcher,” said Gey van Pittius. “I am grateful that he is willing to plough back many years of experience in clinical research, to ensure that we capacitate and develop the clinician researchers of the future.”

Gie will support all MMed students and their supervisors with research projects, from the planning and implementing phase to the successful completion. He will also be responsible for the development of a plan around the larger support and capacity development of MMed research within the FMHS.

“We are still working on the format of the support, but we envisage dedicated time and space for proposal writing and research for all registrars; the development of modules and courses to enhance research skills; and building the capacity of supervisors and mentors of MMed students to enable them to efficiently guide students,” said Gey van Pittius.  

“I am looking forward to seeing our MMed research grow from strength to strength in this Faculty, and to many publications emanating from our registrars’ work in future,” he said.

Photo: Distinguished Professor Robert Gie and Prof Nico Gey van Pittius, the Deputy Dean of Research.

This article appeared in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' digital publication VIVUS. Visit www.sun.ac.za/FMHSpublications to subscribe.

​

Close to 100 students from Stellenbosch University gathered on the Rooiplein today (8 April 2016) at 12:30 to break a five day silent protest against rape and sexual crimes.

The student movement, #RedtAPE have taped their mouths shut the past week in solidarity with the victims of rape and sexual violence whose voices are often not heard or who are too scared or ashamed to speak about what had happened to them.  

This protest is one of many similar actions taken on campus by students the past weeks in relation to rape and rape culture on campus. It also comes after the rape of a resident of Heemstede last weekend and an earlier incident at Harmonie Women's Residence where a student was attacked and raped.

Lea Koekemoer, one of the organisers of the #RedtAPE movement, made an appeal to students to sign a petition in which management is requested to improve safety measures on campus. "This petition will circulate at residences on campus and will probably also be available on social media. gevra word om veiligheidsmaatreëls op kampus te verskerp," Koekemoer said.

She further said some of their requests include patrols and transport along the cluster routes, panic buttons for students, a bigger security presence on campus and a toll free crisis line that victims of sexual crimes can use.

"If we can prevent one rape through this (the protest), it was worth it," she said at the gathering.

Ashanti Kunene performed one of her poems in which she reiterated the fact that No means No. The SU Choir officially broke the silence with a moving rendition of the traditional African song, Indodana.

​ 

​

​Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, has been in the Rector's chair for one year this month. Read his reflections on the past year below.

----------------------------

Dear colleagues and students

A year has passed since I first took office, and I must say I now have a much better understanding of the term "hot seat"! It has certainly been an eventful 12 months, but I would not have had it any other way.

Stellenbosch University (SU) is an excellent institution doing great work, and I am honoured to be associated with it. All credit to our staff and students – and other members of the extended Matie family – for our many proud achievements. Allow me to point out a few highlights from the past year, which has been exceptional in many respects:

• At SU's December and March graduation ceremonies, new records were set in terms of qualifications conferred overall, 7 857, as well as the number of PhDs, 266, of which 40% went to black, coloured and Indian candidates. And both our first-year retention and overall student success rate are consistently above 85% – among the very best in the country. There is no doubt that SU is making a significant contribution to human development as a national and continental asset.
• In a recent annual review, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) again confirmed that SU achieved the highest weighted research output per fulltime academic of all universities in South Africa. Maties is also a clear leader in innovation, registering the most patents in the country. This level of performance regularly receives international recognition, as reflected in the fact that we have been placed 11th out of 200 institutions in 48 countries on the Times Higher Education ranking of universities in the BRICS countries and other emerging economies for 2016.
• And among the many examples of our social impact, a highlight was our Legal Aid's successful High Court application to have garnishee orders obtained by micro-lenders against farmworkers, cleaners and security guards set aside. This has national implications for low-income earners often facing exploitation due to unscrupulous business practices.

That is not to say all is well and we have no problems. Yes, we are facing challenges – complex and demanding ones. But I think we are making good progress. Our journey of change is incomplete and imperfect, but we remain steadfast in our determination to go forward.

• SU's Language Policy is currently under review to ensure that our commitment to "multilingualism without exclusion" finds the best possible practical expression in the learning and teaching environment. This is being done in pursuance of the twin goals of greater access and student success.
• Efforts to achieve greater inclusivity are continuing unabatedly at SU. Last year, R70 million was allocated from the Rector's Strategic Personnel Fund to boost the diversification of the institution's staff core, especially at senior academic level, and several appointments have already been made. We are also participating in the government's New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP).
• Building greater social cohesion on our campuses remains a priority. It has been disappointing to me that we are still struggling with racism, sexism, gender violence and other forms of discrimination and abuse – admittedly nationwide, not just at SU, but that does not absolve us from doing our utmost to solve these problems. I am glad to say SU no longer seems afraid of the T-word! Transformation has explicitly been elevated to top-management level, and our Transformation Office is up and running.

I have been encouraging an "open conversation" at SU in addressing our challenges. Critical and robust debate is intrinsic to the university as a social institution. And everyone has a right to lawful and peaceful protest under the Constitution. It is important, though, that neither academic nor administrative activities should be disrupted, that everyone's rights should be respected, and that no-one should be denied the opportunity to study or work at the University. The DHET and Universities South Africa have made it clear that higher-education institutions have a responsibility to protect their people, property and activities.

At the start of the new millennium, SU made a commitment to redress and development. In line with this, I announced at my inauguration last year that the University would be establishing a bursary fund for descendants of members of the Stellenbosch community who suffered forced removals from the Vlakte in the apartheid era. I am pleased to say that the first five Vlakte bursaries have since been awarded. Ten more descendants of Vlakte families could also be assisted with bursaries from other sources available to the University, and good contributions were made to bursaries by external funders. In 2015, SU paid out R588 million in bursaries and loans to undergraduate and postgraduate students – to our knowledge the most of any university in the country.

Education is the ultimate form of empowerment. Let this inspire us as we go forward in creating a community of social justice and equal opportunities for all.

Thanks to everyone for their support.

Regards

Prof Wim de Villiers
Rector and Vice-Chancellor

​​​​​​​​​Stellenbosch University has started the process to revise its current Language Policy. Stakeholders such as staff, students, alumni and donors received e-mail invitations on 22 March 2016 to comment on the first concept of the new proposed Language Policy until 22 April 2016. This concept was compiled by the Language Revision Workgroup and is available at http://www.sun.ac.za/language. Respondents may provide general and specific comments on the concept policy, as well as any additional suggestions. The workgroup will consider all the input for possible inclusion. However, it may not be possible to include all suggestions in the second concept of the policy. Respondents may complete an online form, or send comments to language@sun.ac.za. Please refer to http://www.sun.ac.za/language for more information about the process and the time line. 

Stellenbosch University (SU) celebrated its collaboration with partner universities from around the world hosting the 14^th annual Stellenbosch International Academic Networks (SIAN) meeting. Participants from 27 institutions, representing 14 countries, attended the meeting hosted by the Postgraduate & International Office (PGIO) from 5-9 April 2016.

Welcoming guests to SU, Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said the meeting helped strengthen ties ― crucial for international collaboration in joint research and student mobility. He highlighted SU's internationalisation efforts telling delegates that the institution attracts students and staff from across the world.  "The international students that we accommodate here at Stellenbosch University comes from 117 different countries. Last year, approximately 15% of our students were international. This was double the national average."

Prof de Villiers underlined SU's role in the international arena, telling delegates that SU is a leading academic institution, ranked among the best. According to him this position will be further strengthened with the appointment of a Vice-Rector for Strategic Initiatives and Internationalisation in the next few months. 

In a week focussing on internationalisation, SIAN delegates also held discussions on how to align qualifications to encourage mobility. Giving an African focus to the weeklong activities, SIAN participants took part in a workshop focussing on the 2014 Addis Convention– the Revised Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in African States.

Mr Joe Samuels, Chief Executive Officer of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), gave background to the convention, its potential role in internationalisation and how South Africa has aligned itself with the principles of the convention. He told delegates that structures are in place to encourage cross-border collaborations, linkages between countries on the continent and critical exchange of ideas.

Mr André Muller, Assistant Director: Academic Planning and Quality Assurance (SU) gave a thought-provoking presentation on the Harmonisation and Tuning project which he has been involved in which seeks to bring expertise together around specific disciplines in an effort to harmonise understanding of expectations and competencies attached to qualifications in Africa. The challenges to collaborative efforts and the warnings to be careful with "one-size-fits-all" approaches was further reinforced by Mr Christopher Muller, Coordinator: Africa Academic Networks at the PGIO, in his presentation on the practical experience of mobility of staff and students via African projects.

​Speakers from Australia and Sweden provided perspectives in turn from their countries, referring to the Bologna process and sharing their experience of efforts to align within Europe and from outside. The lessons that emerged from the day's proceedings come down to allowing for differences and being willing to adjust practices with due consideration for contexts. Additionally, delegates from Japan and the Czech Republic shared country updates in respect of their higher education structures as well as providing more information about their own institutions.

There was also an opportunity for students to get involved in the SIAN meeting. SU students engaged with representatives from our international partners at an International Student Mobility Fair – getting information about partner institutions and study opportunities abroad. Many students also attend the popular International Food Evening, which forms part of SIAN celebrations.

Attending the 2016 SIAN meeting were, from left: Dorothy Stevens, Deputy Director: PGIO; Joe Samuels, Chief Executive Officer of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA);  André Muller, Assistant Director: Academic Planning and Quality Assurance; and  Robert Kotzé, Senior Director: PGIO.

Photo: Hennie Rudman

Click here for photos from the event.

Date:                     15 April 2016

Venue:                 STIAS, Stellenbosch

Theme:                Moving forward - interaction to impact ​​​

Purpose:              The purpose is to create an open consultation on the conceptualisation, institutional positioning and implementation of social impact as a strategic priority of Stellenbosch University.

Outcomes:         

• To reflect on the gains of Community Interaction that may inform Social Impact (SI)
• To explore Social Impact as concept and emerging practice
• To stimulate discussions amongst all internal stakeholders of SI
• Documenting discussions through a World Cafè process
• To create a social and networking opportunity for academic staff, support staff, and students
• To inform the work of the Task Group: Social Impact to produce a SI policy and Plan

​Programme:

08:30-08:50                         Welcome address and message from Rector's Management team by - Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, SU.

09:00-09:15                         A decade Community Interaction @ Stellenbosch University 2004 to 2014 – Dr Jerome Slamat (Executive Manager, Rectorate.)

09:15-09:30                         The 'Why' and 'How' of Social Impact – Prof Nico Koopman (Acting Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel)

09:30 -09:45                        Conceptualising and implementation of Social Impact: The draft policy – Dr Antoinette Smith-Tolken (Acting Senior Director: Social Impact)

09:45– 15:30                       Presentations by the 10 faculties on their understanding of Social Impact. Discussions follow a world café format as well as a plenary session s

Output:                                Based on the faculty inputs and inputs from the participants, changes or additions to the draft Social Impact policy.

​​​​​

Who can take part? 

1) Male or Female of age 18-35. 

2) Regularly running but with low mileage of ~ 10km/ week 

3) Wanting to improve your running fitness and performance. 

4) Are currently using GPS and a heart rate monitor to train, 

5) No known presence of: metabolic, neurological, or cardiovascular disease, recent running-related injury of legs or back, recent concussion, ankle sprain, or balance disorder.

Why? What's in it for you?

1. Free professional reports on your running performance (VO2max and economy)

2. 8-week supervised and individually tailored program with Biokineticist (2 supervised sessions per week).

3. Lucky draw for new pair running shoes up to value of R1000 if you complete study.

Where and when?

Sports Physiology laboratory, Dept Sport Science, Stellenbosch university

Last few spots available, contact us on kurtschutte.sa@gmail.com to book for pre-testing before it's too late!

Date:                     15 April 2016

Venue:                 STIAS, Stellenbosch

Theme:                Moving forward - interaction to impact ​​​

Purpose:              The purpose is to create an open consultation on the conceptualisation, institutional positioning and implementation of social impact as a strategic priority of Stellenbosch University.

Outcomes:         

• To reflect on the gains of Community Interaction that may inform Social Impact (SI)
• To explore Social Impact as concept and emerging practice
• To stimulate discussions amongst all internal stakeholders of SI
• Documenting discussions through a World Cafè process
• To create a social and networking opportunity for academic staff, support staff, and students
• To inform the work of the Task Group: Social Impact to produce a SI policy and Plan

​Programme:

08:30-08:50                         Welcome address and message from Rector's Management team by - Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, SU.

09:00-09:15                         A decade Community Interaction @ Stellenbosch University 2004 to 2014 – Dr Jerome Slamat (Executive Manager, Rectorate.)

09:15-09:30                         The 'Why' and 'How' of Social Impact – Prof Nico Koopman (Acting Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel)

09:30 -09:45                        Conceptualising and implementation of Social Impact: The draft policy – Dr Antoinette Smith-Tolken (Acting Senior Director: Social Impact)

09:45– 15:30                       Presentations by the 10 faculties on their understanding of Social Impact. Discussions follow a world café format as well as a plenary session s

Output:                                Based on the faculty inputs and inputs from the participants, changes or additions to the draft Social Impact policy.

​WORLD PARKINSON'S DISEASE DAY – 11 APRIL 2016

Stellenbosch University researchers have uncovered that the genetic causes of Parkinson's disease are different in local populations which might also require novel home-grown treatment modalities.

The genetic defects causing Parkinson's disease (PD) in most South African patients differ from those found in European, American and Asian populations, suggesting that drug treatments developed overseas may not be applicable here.

"More research is urgently needed on South African patients to understand the unique aspects of the disease affecting local populations," says Prof Soraya Bardien, a senior scientist with the Parkinson's Disease Research Group at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University.

This is the only group in South Africa investigating the genetic causes and mechanisms that lead to PD and their research over the past eight years have revealed novel genetic defects in South African patients. It has also identified the potential therapeutic benefits of curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric, a common household spice) in a laboratory (cellular) model of PD.

"PD is a debilitating and incurable disorder that results from the loss of brain cells (neurons) in a specific part of the brain known as the 'substantia nigra'," explains FMHS neurologist Prof Jonathan Carr. "Once lost, these cells never grow back. This loss results in a number of symptoms which include stiff muscles, extremely slow movements and reflexes, involuntary trembling of the body and limbs, and difficulty in maintaining balance."

In addition to these symptoms, PD patients also experience a number of psychological issues such as depression, psychosis, sleep disturbances and dementia. These symptoms can appear up to 10 years before the symptoms related to movement.

The symptoms of PD can be treated to a certain extent with various drugs and with surgery, but these do not halt the disease progression and currently there is no cure.

The prevalence of PD in South Africa is unknown, but internationally it affects between one and two individuals in every 100 people over the age of 60 years, and four in every 100 people over the age of 80 years. In about 15% of patients, the disorder appears before the age of 50 years and this is referred to as 'early-onset PD'. The American actor Michael J Fox has this form of the disorder. PD is found in all ethnic groups.

In order to discover novel PD-causing genes, the PD Research Group are using a technique called whole exome sequencing which involves the simultaneous screening of approximately 20,000 human genes.

"The challenge is to sift through the masses of data that this technique generates to find the proverbial 'needle-in-a haystack' causative gene, and this research is on-going," Bardien explains.

"Also, we have used specialised protein techniques to study the biological pathways that the known PD-causing genes e.g. parkin are involved in and have identified interesting processes that may be implicated in the development of PD. These findings are important as it may ultimately contribute to the design of more effective drug therapies for PD."

The group have also found a novel genetic defect in one South African patient and compared its effect to another genetic defect in the same gene which is a common cause of the disease in some populations overseas. "Interestingly, our results show that the novel defect we found has more severe effects on the cell," says Bardien.

"It is important to raise awareness about this disorder as it may be misdiagnosed and therefore not treated appropriately. Patients with PD may also be stigmatised and other factors such as witchcraft may be blamed for the symptoms. Therefore, it needs to be highlighted that this is a disorder like hypertension and schizophrenia, and that treatment exists that can alleviate many of the devastating symptoms," says Bardien.

For more information please contact Prof Soraya Bardien, Stellenbosch University, sbardien@sun.ac.za

Media enquiries:

Wilma Stassen
+27 (0)21 938 9359
wstassen@sun.ac.za
Marketing and Communications Office
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences   
Stellenbosch University

Website: www.sun.ac.za/health
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SUhealthsci
Twitter: @SUhealthsci

Image courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net

​The Rector and Executive Mayor's Forum has strengthened discussions on promoting Stellenbosch as the Innovation Capital of South Africa. It recently held its third meeting since the inauguration of Prof Wim de Villiers as Stellenbosch University (SU) Rector and Vice-Chancellor in 2015.

The Forum consists of De Villiers, Stellenbosch Executive Mayor Alderman Conrad Sidego and a number of academics and officials from the University and the Municipality. Areas of focus include urban development strategy, safety, as well as promoting Stellenbosch as the Innovation Capital of South Africa.

Sub-committees have been established that henceforth will meet regularly to address challenges and solutions in these focus areas. One of the goals of the Forum is that academics and officials share knowledge and best practice to take projects forward.

"Stellenbosch is the most unequal town in South Africa, if not the world. However, we have a huge human-capital resource base in our Municipality, the business sphere and at the University which can be harnessed to address many of our challenges through innovative thinking and practices," Sidego said.

"Innovation is a two-legged issue. We need technical innovation but we also need social innovation which is imperative to address the many socio-economic challenges, including drug abuse, crime, alcohol abuse and the high level of unemployment. Innovation is about the way we think," he added.

De Villiers said that this Forum is a wonderful opportunity to access the great knowledge and technical know-how present at the University and in the town to make a difference to society.

Prof Mark Swilling, distinguished professor and Programme Director: Sustainable Development in SU's School of Public Leadership, said that academics can harness a lot of resources to assist the Municipality. Swilling also pointed out the need for a website where the Municipality and the University can share information about innovative projects inside as well as outside the town.

Dr Jerome Slamat, Executive Manager in the SU Rectorate, said that an important contribution of the University to local economic development is to uplift local people through education.

Prof Nico Koopman, acting Vice-Rector of Social impact, Transformation and Personnel, said it was important to continue the conversation on promoting a welcoming culture both on the campus and in the rest of Stellenbosch. To this Sidego responded that the Municipality has perhaps not done enough to deal effectively and efficiently with transformation.

"This Forum needs to be an alliance for which the building of social cohesion is imperative," he said.

Mr Widmark Moses, Manager: Local Economic Development at Stellenbosch Municipality, pleaded that the Forum not only looks at social development, but also addresses economic development. 

​​The Rector and Executive Mayor's Forum has strengthened discussions on promoting Stellenbosch as the Innovation Capital of South Africa. It recently held its third meeting since the inauguration of Prof Wim de Villiers as Stellenbosch University (SU) Rector and Vice-Chancellor in 2015.

The Forum consists of De Villiers, Stellenbosch Executive Mayor Alderman Conrad Sidego and a number of academics and officials from the University and the Municipality. Areas of focus include urban development strategy, safety, as well as promoting Stellenbosch as the Innovation Capital of South Africa.

Sub-committees have been established that henceforth will meet regularly to address challenges and solutions in these focus areas. One of the goals of the Forum is that academics and officials share knowledge and best practice to take projects forward.

"Stellenbosch is the most unequal town in South Africa, if not the world. However, we have a huge human-capital resource base in our Municipality, the business sphere and at the University which can be harnessed to address many of our challenges through innovative thinking and practices," Sidego said.

"Innovation is a two-legged issue. We need technical innovation but we also need social innovation which is imperative to address the many socio-economic challenges, including drug abuse, crime, alcohol abuse and the high level of unemployment. Innovation is about the way we think," he added.

De Villiers said that this Forum is a wonderful opportunity to access the great knowledge and technical know-how present at the University and in the town to make a difference to society.

Prof Mark Swilling, distinguished professor and Programme Director: Sustainable Development in SU's School of Public Leadership, said that academics can harness a lot of resources to assist the Municipality. Swilling also pointed out the need for a website where the Municipality and the University can share information about innovative projects inside as well as outside the town.

Dr Jerome Slamat, Executive Manager in the SU Rectorate, said that an important contribution of the University to local economic development is to uplift local people through education.

Prof Nico Koopman, acting Vice-Rector of Social impact, Transformation and Personnel, said it was important to continue the conversation on promoting a welcoming culture both on the campus and in the rest of Stellenbosch. To this Sidego responded that the Municipality has perhaps not done enough to deal effectively and efficiently with transformation.

"This Forum needs to be an alliance for which the building of social cohesion is imperative," he said.

Mr Widmark Moses, Manager: Local Economic Development at Stellenbosch Municipality, pleaded that the Forum not only looks at social development, but also addresses economic development. 

​Matie cyclist Mariske Strauss (24) overcame injuries and a bad tumble the week before to be crowned African cross-country champion at the 2016 African Continental Mountain Bike Championships this past weekend. This is her fifth continental title.

The event was held in Lesotho from 30 March to 3 April and cyclists were not only competing for continental honours but also for valuable UCI points. UCI points determine not only a cyclist's starting position in a race but ultimately also how many cyclists a country can send to the Olympic Games.

The week before, Mariske came second in the Elite Women's race at the third round of the Stihl 2016 SA XCO Cup Series hosted in Pretoria after crashing twice during the race. Apart from some bruising, she sustained no serious injuries.

She was beaten by her Novus OMX Pro team mate Cherie Redecker, who came second at the African Champs a week later.

After the race in Pretoria, Mariske decided to follow a different approach at the continental championships.

"I decided to race my own race, have a blast and see how the field and I responded to the altitude."

They riders had to complete five laps of a 5.4 km course at an altitude of approximately 3000m above sea level.

"The race started quite slowly. I then opened up the tap to the top of the first climb where I found myself in the lead. I kept things consistent and had a blast," she adds.

Strauss has been struggling with injuries since 2014 – first she tore her abdominal muscles and then she tore her ankle ligaments. This meant she couldn't defend her 2014 SA Cross Country or 2014 African Champs title in 2015.

"The past two years have been very trying but I had unbelievable support," she says.

She is now looking towards the future. Due to academic responsibilities her next race will only be at the end of the month when she will compete at the Pietermaritzburg MTB festival.

She also hopes to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games in Rio later this year.

Mariske is a third-year BSc Sports Science student at Stellenbosch University (SU). Before starting her course this former Stellenberg High learner spent a year at Mars Hill College in the USA.

If all goes well, she will complete the final two subjects of her degree this year and graduate in December. It has not been easy for her to pursue a degree while continuing with the sport she loves, but she believes it has been worth it.​ 

Photo credit: Andrew Mc Fadden/BOOGS Photography

Steinhoff Maties Hockey's Tarryn Glasby made her senior international debut for the national women's hockey team in the recent Private Property Summer Series.

Glasby played her first test against Scotland and scored her first goal in only her second test for her country. One of her biggest moments in the series was in the last test against Germany at the Maties Astro. She set up the equalising goal with great individual brilliance.

"Making my debut for the national team has been a dream of mine ever since I started playing hockey at the age of 7, so to finally reach this goal was amazing. I felt so privileged and excited to be a part of the team, yet so nervous at the same time," said Glasby after the series.

"I definitely felt some relief when I scored my first international goal. As a striker it's important to be able to score goals as this is the reason why you get selected."

South Africa's competitors in the Summer Series were India, Scotland and Germany. The Germans provided the biggest test for Glasby and her teammates. "Technically and physically Germany is such a good team that the thought of having to play against them was very scary indeed. It was very challenging at times, but I have always liked a challenge."

Glasby will now shift her focus to playing good hockey at Maties and helping the team reach its goals. "One goal is definitely to try and win the Western Province Grand Challenge again. This won't be easy as we have some tough competition. Another goal is to perform well and do better at USSA this year after making the final last year. And hopefully I will be scoring many goals for Maties!"

As a player Glasby knows there is hard work ahead. "I want to continue improving and pushing my own limits to ensure that I become a better player. This will allow me to stay in the South African hockey setup."

CAPTION: Tarryn Glasby. Photo credit: Outsider Communications

Steinhoff Maties Hockey's Tarryn Glasby made her senior international debut for the national women's hockey team in the recent Private Property Summer Series.

Glasby played her first test against Scotland and scored her first goal in only her second test for her country. One of her biggest moments in the series was in the last test against Germany at the Maties Astro. She set up the equalising goal with great individual brilliance.

"Making my debut for the national team has been a dream of mine ever since I started playing hockey at the age of 7, so to finally reach this goal was amazing. I felt so privileged and excited to be a part of the team, yet so nervous at the same time," said Glasby after the series.

"I definitely felt some relief when I scored my first international goal. As a striker it's important to be able to score goals as this is the reason why you get selected."

South Africa's competitors in the Summer Series were India, Scotland and Germany. The Germans provided the biggest test for Glasby and her teammates. "Technically and physically Germany is such a good team that the thought of having to play against them was very scary indeed. It was very challenging at times, but I have always liked a challenge."

Glasby will now shift her focus to playing good hockey at Maties and helping the team reach its goals. "One goal is definitely to try and win the Western Province Grand Challenge again. This won't be easy as we have some tough competition. Another goal is to perform well and do better at USSA this year after making the final last year. And hopefully I will be scoring many goals for Maties!"

As a player Glasby knows there is hard work ahead. "I want to continue improving and pushing my own limits to ensure that I become a better player. This will allow me to stay in the South African hockey setup."

CAPTION: Tarryn Glasby. Photo credit: Outsider Communications

The top students in computer science at Stellenbosch University earned collectively about R40 000 in prize money for their hard work during 2015.

The awards, sponsored by industry partners such as Barclays, VasTech, IBM, Praelexis and 4iMobile, were handed over during a special ceremony on Thursday 7 April 2016.

The Van der Walt medal for the best third-year student, sponsored by Barclays, was awarded to Mr Jaco Smit, while Mr Nicolaas Weideman received the award for the best honours student, sponsored by VasTech.

The award for the best honours project, sponsored by IBM, went to Mr Chris Coetzee.

Barclays also sponsored the awards for the best first-year and second-year students. These went to Mr Charl Cilliers and Mr Francois Smit respectively.

The following students received honourable mentions: Ms Sarah Selkirk, Mr Brian Schirmacher, Mr Elrich Groenewald and Mr Pierre le Roux.

The award for the best student in machine learning (a computer science module) in 2015 went to Mr Stuart Robertson. The prize money was sponsored by Praelexis.

Mr Pierre le Roux was awarded for his hard work in mobile systems development (a computer science module) with prize money sponsored by 4iMobile.

Mr Liam Baker, Mr Chris Coetzee and Mr Jean Breytenbach were rewarded for being the best SU team at the ACM Inter-College Programming competition held at the University of Cape Town in 2015.

Photo: Anton Jordaan