Prof Lou-Marie Kruger and Ms Caroline Pule, two top female researchers at Stellenbosch University (SU), received national acclaim on Thursday (11 August 2016) when they were honoured with the Department of Science and Technology (DST)'s Women in Science Awards.

The annual Women in Science Awards ceremony was held as part of the DST's celebration of Women's Month. The DST hosts these awards to reward the country's outstanding female scientists and researchers and to encourage younger women to follow in their footsteps. 

The theme for this year's awards was "Women's empowerment and its link to sustainable development".

Kruger, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, was a second runner-up in the category Distinguished Women Researchers in the Humanities and Social Science, while Pule, a doctoral student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, won a TATA Africa Scholarship.

Kruger was honoured for her significant contribution to psychology in South Africa, especially her work on the emotional impact of poverty on women and girls, and what needs to be done to empower them.

Her research highlights the emotional worlds of low-income South African women and girls, using mostly psychoanalytic, feminist and postmodern theoretical frameworks. She focuses on research that has a direct impact on people, is politically relevant and can potentially contribute to social change.

Regarded as a leading feminist scholar in South Africa, Kruger has published widely in international academic journals, contributed chapters to many books and also supervised a number of postgraduate students.

She has received several teaching and research awards, and fellowships, including a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship (2004), an American Association of University Women International Fellowship (1992-1993), a Clara Mayo Memorial Award from Boston University (1992) and a Fulbright Scholarship (1990).

Pule's received the TATA scholarship for her doctoral research which focuses on the physiology of drug-resistant and tolerant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Her research may lead to the identification of new TB drug targets and better strategies to overcome the mechanisms used by M. tuberculosis to survive anti-TB drug administration and in turn help shorten TB treatment.

Pule occupies leadership positions in multiple organisations and is also as an Ambassador of South African National Tuberculosis Association (SANTA), a vice-president of the South African Associates Women Graduates (SAAWG) in the Western Cape, an executive committee member of the Association of South African Women in Science and Engineering (SAWISE), and a research director of the Governance Leadership Organisation.

She is also the founder of the "Caroline Pule Science and Literacy Foundation", which aims to help establish science clubs in disadvantaged communities and to distribute scientific literature to these communities.

Pule is also a former recipient of, among others, the Rector's Award for exceptional leadership and a National Health Scholarship from the South African Medical Research Council and the Department of Health.

Finalists for this year's awards competed in five categories, namely Distinguished Women Researchers (with subcategories), Distinguished Young Women Researchers, Research &Innovation leading to Socio-economic Impact and/or Empowerment of Women, Fellowships (masters students and doctoral students), and the TATA Africa Scholarships for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology for masters and doctoral students.

Photo 1: Ms Caroline Pule

Photo 2: Prof Lou-Marie Kruger

Dr Moleen Zunza, an expert in the field of breastfeeding by HIV positive mothers, received the prestigious Janssen/CTN International Postdoctoral Fellowship earlier this year to further her research in this field.

With this fellowship, Zunza plans to build on her research on the promotion of breastfeeding by HIV infected mothers conducted for her PhD degree. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the Biostatistics Unit of the Centre for Evidence Based Health Care at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of Stellenbosch University (SU).

She will run a pilot clinical trial, entitled 'Feasibility and effect of interactive weekly mobile phone text messaging and motivational interviewing in promoting and sustaining continued breastfeeding by HIV infected woman'. 

"My interest in this topic started when I did research for my PhD degree," she said. As part of this research, Zunza conducted a prospective cohort study of HIV-exposed uninfected infants to evaluate HIV positive mothers' self-selection of either formula or breast-feeding and the influence on the infant's growth or hospitalisation due to infectious diseases.

Zunza received the degree PhD in Paediatrics from SU in March this year. What makes this achievement remarkable is that she also received the qualification BCom Honours in Applied Statistics later that same day. 

The goal of the Janssen Fellowship is to prepare individuals for a career in health economics and outcomes research within the healthcare industry or academia. Zunza's fellowship is a collaborative research project between SU and McMaster University in Canada.

"This award does not belong to me; it goes to each nurse working on a mobile healthcare clinic that dedicates his or her time and efforts to the health of people in far flung places." This is exactly the kind of comment that assured Sr Charlotte Stemmet's award as the Rural Nurse of the Year 2016 at the Rural Health Conference 2016 held in Grahamstown from 6 to 9 August 2016.

Stemmet is an alumnus of the Division of Nursing at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) of Stellenbosch University (SU). She started her career as a professional nurse in primary health care over 15 years ago at the then small clinic of Nduli, just outside Ceres.

She is currently employed by the Western Cape Department of Health in the district health services operating a mobile clinic service to the Bossieveld farming community in Worcester. She has also been involved in establishing a health committee, soup kitchen, sustainable vegetable garden, halfway house for HIV patients and the coordination of community care workers.

The Rural Nurse of the year award is presented by the Association for Rural Nursing South Africa (RuNurSA) to a rural nurse working in rural healthcare who has made a significant contribution towards rural healthcare in the previous year. "The nature of the contribution is not strictly defined, given the great variety of work and activities of rural nurses," said Dr Guin Lourens, the Chairperson of RuNurSA and the Manager of the Clinical Training Platform at the FMHS.

Stemmet and her colleague, Staff Nurse Christine Marcus, operate a mobile healthcare clinic in the farming areas of the Breede Valley in the Cape Winelands. Their patients are far from towns and depend on the mobile clinics for primary healthcare services. Come rain, shine, wind or snow, Stemmet and Marcus pack their mobile clinic, a flask of coffee and set off to the farming communities.

In most places they are greeted with a hearty hello and many farmers have made a shed or hall available for them to see patients in. However, sometimes they see patients in the mobile clinic, where in a space a little smaller than a caravan they offer a comprehensive primary care health service that includes mother and child care; HIV and TB counselling, testing and treatment; child health; chronic diseases management; and women's health. 

Stemmet was recently awarded with her Master's degree in Nursing for the anecdotal research she did on the perceptions and experiences of the nurses about the mobile clinic work environment'. The research document is available online at http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/98767.

"I hope it will address the plight of the nurses working on mobile clinics, whose only desire is to be able to fulfil their caring role as nurses to the people, providing a service to those who do not otherwise have reasonable access to health services", Stemmet said.

Stemmet decided to direct her research to scientific data collection from nurses on the provision of care in the mobile clinic work environment to further enhance service delivery. Her research has proved that there are extreme challenges which rural nurses have to contend with in their daily working lives, while trying to provide health care to the people who would otherwise receive no service. Her input has influenced design improvements to mobile clinic vehicles.

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' (FMHS) 60^th Annual Academic Day (AAD) showcased the faculty's latest research and also celebrated some of the ground-breaking research to come from this institution over the last 60 years.

"This year's Annual Academic Day is a very special event for us, being our 60^th AAD and coinciding with the 60^th birthday celebrations of the Faculty," said Prof Nico Gey van Pittius, Vice Dean: Research at the FMHS.

"The 60^th AAD is a time for reflection on what we have achieved: our tremendous growth and output; the major contributions that our research has made over many years to science and society; and the impact that it has on governmental, societal, economic and environmental issues."

An assortment of research was presented in 106 oral presentations, and 129 poster presentations throughout the day.

In the Dean's Address, Prof Jimmy Volmink paid tribute to the FMHS' stalwart researchers that have laid the strong academic foundation on which the faculty is still building its successes today. Among those he singled out was Prof Andries Brink, a former dean of the faculty, who "held up the flag for research" during the pre-democracy era, and Prof Amanda Lochner, for being a strong female scientist role model in time when the field was male dominated. He also praised two former deans, Profs Jan Lochner and Wynand van der Merwe, for their visionary leadership.

Volmink highlighted some of the important research that has emanated from faculty over the past 60 years that have impacted on medical practice and policy around the world. In particular he emphasised the work by the team of pioneering TB researchers: Profs Paul van Helden, Nulda Beyers, Peter Donald, Robert Gie and Simon Schaaf. "They are among the top TB researchers in the world, and they laid the foundation for what has expanded to the strongest TB research outfit in Africa," said Volmink.

He ascribed their success to "having a big vision and being prepared to work across disciplines" as their work often entailed collaborative efforts by researchers, clinicians, and even communities.

The guest speaker, Prof Bongani Mayosi, Dean Elect of the Faulty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town, reiterated the importance of research collaboration between scientific disciplines, as well as institutions.

He illustrated the increase in research outputs on the African continent over the past two decades and encouraged the audience to look for opportunities for research collaboration on the African continent.

​As a six-year old Jean-Marie du Preez exhausted her parents with her play doctor’s toy set. "It had a thermometer, a stethoscope and the works," she remembers. "I examined and operated on everyone in the family ad nauseam." 

But she first had to become head girl of Cradock High School and participate in the school’s first tennis, hockey and athletics teams as well as on the first aid- and quiz teams before she could officially start her journey towards her medical dream. 

Du Preez is now a first year MB,ChB student at the Stellenbosch University.

​Patricia Oosthuizen can't cook or bake. "I manage to burn just about everything!," she jokes. But this flaw can be forgiven in the light of her other talents. Last year she achieved eight distinctions as matriculant at Riverdale’s Langenhoven High School and says she keeps up with her work by spending at least two to three hours a day studying. She also plays hockey and soccer and makes time to go for frequent runs to stay fit. Who has time to worry about culinary skills!

Patsy, as everyone calls her, can’t think of anything else she wants to do besides being a doctor. And her genes may be to blame for it: both mom Emma and dad Christiaan studied medicine at Stellenbosch Univerisity. Now she's following in their footsteps as a first year MBChb-student.

For Patsy, the purpose of life is being able to mean something to others while simultaneously enjoying it. After she qualifies as a doctor, she would like to work with Doctors without Borders (MSF) to do just that. "Then I’d like to move to the countryside and start a family."

​Royal Forestry Society Education Manager, Ted Wilson, visited the Department of Forestry and Wood Science, at Stellenbosch, on 4 August 2016, during his summer vacation in South Africa. The primary purpose of the visit was to discuss forestry education in the UK and South Africa, and identify potential areas for future collaboration. As in the UK, forestry students at Stellenbosch are strongly encouraged to gain practical experience to support their formal academic studies and training. Several students in recent years have had successful placements and internships outside South Africa, and it is hoped that RFS can help promote opportunities with the UK and Europe as part of our Future Foresters programme. The visit established a basis for more strategic work in forestry education, and possible collaboration in the future.

In the photo from left to right: Cori Ham and Pierre Ackerman from the Department of Forestry and Wood Science, Ted Wilson (RFS Education Manager) and Reino Pulkki (Lakehead University, Canada).

​Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training, Universities SA (USAf) and the University Council Chairs Forum (UCCF) on Friday 12 August 2016 agreed on the establishment of a multi-stakeholder forum to address the need for 8% increase in income for the higher education sector for 2017.

At the consultative meeting it was decided that the forum will include the National Treasury, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the private sector represented by its associations, UCCF and USAf, as well as relevant student and faith-based organisations. The objective is to arrive at a joint approach on how to fully fund an increase of 8%. This income could come from a variety of sources. It was proposed that this forum provide a report by the end of August 2016. Read more on the outcomes of the meeting. 

Postgraduate students from the Department of Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University performed well at the recent annual conference of the South African Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

MSc student Tiaan Swanepoel received the best presentation award in the category proteins and enzymology, while MSc students Lisa Kelbe and Simon Berge both won second place in the plants/ethnomedicine and biotechnology categories for their presentations.

Swanepoel, who works under Prof. Johann Rohwer in the systems biology research group, says the award came as a big surprise. Not only was it the first time that he presented at a conference, but also the first time attending one!

The title of his poster presentation was: "An investigation into the effects of pH on phosphoglucoseisomerase and phosphofructokinase, the first two glycolytic enzymes of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)"

Swanepoel explains: "Our research entails the construction of computational models, based on mathematical formulae, to explain complex biological phenomena. In other words: we build models capable of simulating cellular processes on the computer, with data collected through experimentation.

"The study of these model simulations enables the formation of novel hypotheses as well elucidation of various previously undetected enzymatic interactions computationally, thereby avoiding spending large amounts of money on doing wet-lab experiments to find out the same things. It also enables the identification of control points in biological networks, and gives us an idea of how we could then genetically engineer organisms to the benefit of society."

For his MSc, Swanepoel investigates the effects of pH on the enzymes of glycolysis (the central energy pathway) in bacteria (E. coli) and fungus (yeast).

"In this way we take both the environment (in terms of pH) and the system into account, something that has been neglected in biology thus far. People used to either look at enzymes in isolation or in systems. Until recently, the effects of pH on enzyme kinetics have been neglected," he explains.

Swanepoel, an alumnus from Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town, says he hopes to present his work at an international systems biology conference in Spain next year, and after that he plans to continue with a PhD.

On the photo, Simon Berge (left) and Lisa Kelbe (on the right) receiving their prizes during the gala dinner of the South African Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Maties Sport’s staff members gathered around Zanele Situ on Monday to congratulate her on being chosen as SA flag bearer for the Paralympic Games and to wish her well.

Read her story …

What brings a twinkle to veteran Paralympian, Maties Parasport athlete and Stellenbosch Sport Ambassador Zanele Situ's eye?

Is it the honour of being chosen as South Africa's flag bearer for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games? Is it the knowledge that she was the first black South African to win a gold medal at Paralympic level? Could it be the ministerial recognition for excellence in sport award she received recently? Or any of the other awards, including the National Order of Ikhamanga for Outstanding Achievement, that have been bestowed on this woman from the Eastern Cape who became paralysed due to suspected spinal tuberculosis when she was in her teens?

It is … none of the above.

No discussion about medals or accolades lights up Zanele's face in the same way as when she is talking about her daughter.

Ten-year-old Azamazi is the light of her mother's life.

"I am as proud of her as she is of me," says Zanele.

Which says a lot, because Azamazi has many reasons to be proud of her mother who will be competing in her fifth Paralympic Games in September.

"When I started my disability journey, I didn't know about sport for people with disabilities," Zanele recalls.

After she lost the use of her legs she started attending a special school where she was introduced to various sporting codes. "I didn't know about big competitions, I was just having fun."

In 1996, Situ qualified for the World Championships in England, where she won gold medals for javelin and shot put. She was also entered to compete in table tennis, but it clashed with her other items.

At that stage, medals, records and fame didn't really make a big impression on her.

"When I won gold and broke the world record in the javelin event at the Paralympic Games in Sydney the coaches, managers and my team mates were all very happy, but I didn't really understand what was happening," she remembers.

She also won a silver medal in the discus event in Sydney and followed it up with another gold medal in the javelin event in Athens four years later.

Over time, she became more used to travelling and competing, but her favourite part of doing sport is training on her own.

"I don't have to talk – my mind can just switch off," she says.

Zanele moved to Stellenbosch in 2009 and started training with her current coach, Karin le Roux, in 2010. Although she dislikes travelling, she competes at international competitions to compare herself with the best in the world.

Nationally she doesn't really have a competitor and as time goes by those medals and titles don't mean as much anymore. She would rather finish in fourth place but know that she had improved on previous results. 

"I want to know I gave my best and worked hard for good results."

This is also what she teaches her daughter, who is a budding sport star in her own right and does well in athletics and gymnastics.

"I want my daughter to know that life has ups and downs and you don't always win, but losing is also good because you learn more. I tell her that if she falls, she must stand up. She must lift herself up and go forward. She can't wait for someone else to lift her up."

Depending on her circumstances, Zanele doesn't plan on quitting sport any time soon. She is also willing to share her experience with others.

"Since I started my disability journey I learnt a lot. I can now give advice and assist other people who might be in the same position."

*The Stellenbosch Sport Ambassadors programme aims to empower local athletes on their journey of excellence. Their empowerment will in turn market Stellenbosch as a town of excellence and inspire the immediate community. The programme is a working partnership between the Stellenbosch Municipality, the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport and Maties Sport. Like the Stellenbosch Sport Ambassadors page on Facebook or follow them on Twitter at @SboschSA.

​Clinical research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University (SU) received a boost when Drs Charles Kyriakakis, Jen Holness and Leigh van den Heuvel each received a four-year scholarship in the prestigious Clinical Research Programme of the Medical Research Council (MRC).

With this programme, the MRC aims to address the dearth of MB,ChB graduates that read for PhD research degrees in South Africa.

Dr Charles Kyriakakis

Dr Charles Kyriakakis, a cardiologist in the Department of Medicine, is doing research on tuberculous pericarditis (TBP). His project is interlinked with a large interdisciplinary research study on tuberculosis at the FMHS. 

With his PhD study, he aims to improve on current diagnostic algorithms that are reliant on biochemical markers to establish a diagnosis of TBP. He will also be looking at potential novel therapeutic targets against the disease. 

Kyriakakis said they plan to identify a host cytokine biosignature for TBP that will ultimately provide for the development of a point of care test to diagnose the disease.

Establishing a definite diagnosis of TBP is challenging, as the yield of acid fast bacilli in pericardial fluid specimens is poor, whilst mycobacterial culture is both slow and insensitive. Acquiring pericardial tissue for histological evaluation and mycobacterial culture previously required open surgical biopsy, proven to prolong hospital stay and increase patient morbidity. "Today, we are undertaking minimally invasive pericardial biopsies under local anesthesia, with which we have achieved an excellent procedural safety record," Kyriakakis said.

"My MMed project in this field led up to my PhD research. This work is unique in that we are the only unit in Africa making use of percutaneous (through the skin) pericardioscopy for directed pericardial biopsy, thereby avoiding invasive open surgical biopsy of the pericardium," he said.

Dr Jen Holness

Dr Jen Holness, a MRC Clinician Researcher in the Division of Nuclear Medicine, is researching estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in two different Western Cape populations at Tygerberg Hospital and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital respectively.

"It is well known that GFR is the best indicator of kidney function, but it is not feasible to measure it in all patients due to the complexity and expense of the test. Consequently, GFR is usually estimated from the blood creatinine concentration, but the equations that were developed for this purpose have never been validated in local populations," said Holness.

An accurate measure of renal function is essential in patients who have chronic kidney disease or are receiving medication toxic to the kidneys, for example chemotherapy or antiretroviral medication. It also forms an essential part of the medical screening for potential kidney donors.

"I want to ensure patients receive accurate test results," Holness said. "The earlier kidney damage is detected, the better the chance of slowing or stopping its progression."

Dr Leigh van den Heuvel

Dr Leigh van den Heuvel is a psychiatrist and a member of the research team investigating the link between neuropsychiatric disorders and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease as part of the Shared Roots project.

Shared Roots is a multidisciplinary project in the FMHS, with Prof Soraya Seedat, the Executive Head of the Department of Psychiatry, as principal investigator, and is funded by a prestigious MRC Flagship Project Grant.

Van den Heuvel's PhD study is an ancillary study to Shared Roots. She is evaluating hair cortisol levels in participants of the study. "Hair cortisol may be a possible biomarker of chronic stress, reflecting cortisol secretion over longer periods of time," said Van den Heuvel. "Performing hair cortisol analysis in participants will allow us to evaluate the impact of chronic stress on the interaction between neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS)." 

According to Van den Heuvel, evidence has shown that stress can negatively affect the heart, particularly in mood and anxiety disorders, which carry a significantly raised risk for cardiovascular disease.

After a month-long build-up the new Maties App was launched on Monday, 15 August.

The app, which originated in the Recreation and Active Lifestyles Unit (RALU) situated within Maties Sport, aims to improve communication with students.

It was developed with the assistance of the Division for Information Technology.

At the moment, its focus is mainly on sport-related events but the long-term plan is to include all university-related events.

Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director: Maties Sport, believes it is important for campus to have an app like this one.

"We need to communicate with students about things that are relevant to them on a platform they use and we know that students like their phones."

For Maties Sport, it is important to attract people to sport events and for people to attend an event, they need to know about it.

After you download the Maties App (it is available on iOS as well as Android), it will give you the option to sign in, see what's on, add events to your calendar, show whether you are interested in or attending an event and finally, the option to check in at an event.

All headings are available in three languages: Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa.

Other features included having access to fan pages, seeing logs of inter-cluster events and having an image of your student card on your cell phone, although it can't be used for official purposes yet.

Kiran Maharaj, joint team leader of RALU, says part of the long-term plan is to include an official version of the student card.

"Students might lose their student cards but they are less likely to lose their phones!"

In future, the university would be able to send emergency notifications to students via the app, informing them of potential hazards or problems. Students will be able to choose whether they would like to receive other push notifications, but everyone will receive emergency notifications.

Download the Maties App from the App Store or Google Play Store.

On 25 and 26 August, the Stellenbosch Town Hall will be a hive of activity when 287 students from 24 different schools will be showcasing their research projects at the Stellenbosch regional competition of the Expo for Young Scientists.

This national competition is the largest of its kind at school level in South Africa. Learners from all nine provinces may enrol in the competition in one of the 35 regions in the country.

Dr Trevor van Louw, Director of the Centre for Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University (SUNCEP) says that the centre is very excited about the entries, especially about new schools participating for the first time this year.

SUNCEP in collaboration with the Faculty of Science is responsible for organising the Stellenbosch regional competition.

The projects will be assessed by approximately 80 volunteers – teachers, lecturers and postgraduate students from various faculties at Stellenbosch University, and employees of institutions like iTthemba Labs, Eskom and the South African Weather Bureau.

The judging starts on Thursday afternoon, 25 August. The competition will be open to the public from 11:00 on Friday, 26 August. Mr Yashren Reddi from Spaceteq (Denel) will address the participants at 14:00. The prize-giving will commence at 15:00.

A number of projects from each region will be selected to participate in the national competition in Johannesburg in October. On that occasion, learners can also be selected to represent South Africa at other international competitions.

​In the spirit of Women's Month, some of the fantastic work by inspirational women scientists at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) is highlighted.

Young women who want to follow a career in science should think "big and bold" and learn from other women who went before them.

This is according to one of South Africa's female pioneers in science, Professor Eileen Hoal, whose life's work has been focused on exploring diseases on a molecular level.

"The stories of women in science vary enormously, but nearly all highlight that going into the sciences may not always be the accepted career path for girls, and therefore needs more effort than the alternatives," says Hoal, from the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics at the FMHS at Stellenbosch University (SU).

Although science may traditionally be viewed as a male-dominated field, women have contributed to some of science's biggest breakthroughs: from unravelling the structure of DNA to discovering fission and mapping the ocean floor.

Meet three women scientists working to combat South Africa's biggest killer: tuberculosis (TB). Doctoral student Caroline Pule is fast making a name for herself, while Profs Samantha Sampson and Eileen Hoal are leaders in the field of TB research. Here are their stories:

Ms Caroline Pule

Caroline Pule is a doctoral student at the FMHS's Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics and an ambassador of The South African National Tuberculosis Association. At the recent Women in Science Awards, presented by die Department of Science and Technology, she received the TATA scholarship for her doctoral research which focuses on the physiology of drug-resistant and tolerant TB.

Her research focuses on understanding the biology of drug-resistant TB and the host response in the context of the host macrophage – macrophages are the cells of the immune system that are formed in response to infections.  "I explore these by the use of proteomic analysis, fluorescence dilution and macrophage-model experiments and consolidate resulting data using bioinformatics. My work may lead to the development of novel drug targets to combat the spread of drug-resistant TB," explains Pule.

She has achieved a lot in her short career, and occupies leadership positions in multiple organisations focused on TB eradication, women in science, leadership and community development. She holds an MSc in Molecular Biology from SU. Her awards include being counted among the 20 best performing students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2008 (where she did her undergraduate degree). She was awarded a merit bursary covering all her fees and completed her BTech in Medical Biotechnology with an overall achievement of 14 distinctions. In March 2015 she attended the TB summit in London, where she was one of the three researchers awarded a prize for the best poster presentation.

She is a devout believer and has known from a young age that she wanted to live a purposeful life, give back to the community and help others. Her career in medical science was born from her desire to help.

She has this to say to young girls who are considering a career in science: "You need to work very hard, work consistently, be smart and go the extra mile to get good marks. Life is about choices, it doesn't matter what family you come from, whether rich or poor. Your background doesn't limit you as a young woman to pursue your career, your dream, to be that doctor, engineer, scientist or mathematician you want to be. All you need is to be focused, vigilant, willing to excel in all you do and use every opportunity that comes your way to succeed.

"Tell yourself 'I can do it', 'I have what it takes to succeed'. Take charge and dream big."

Professor Samantha Sampson

Prof Samantha Sampson is an established researcher at the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics and was recently awarded the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARCHI) in mycobactomics by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

She says that she has had to work hard to be recognised as a woman scientist and is one of several women in the field of tuberculosis research that have achieved the level of professor.

Sampson's work in TB research focuses on mycobacterial genetics, microbiology, immunology and animal models of TB.

She has always had a passion for biology and wanted to be a veterinarian, but later changed her mind when she was doing her BSc Honours at SU. She continued her studies up to PhD level and then undertook post-doctoral training at the Harvard University School of Public Health and Imperial College London.

She is currently the principal investigator of a research team in her division. "The ultimate goal of the research group is to gain a better understanding of how the pathogen mycobacterium tuberculosis interacts with its host to cause disease. Molecular mycobacteriology and in vitro infection models are used together with data-rich methodologies such as whole genome sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics and lipidomics to achieve the goal."

Outside of work Sampson enjoys watching her favourite TV programme, Peaky Blinders, and for relaxation she does dog training and goes to the beach.

Her message to aspiring woman scientists is: "Be absolutely sure this is the career you want because it is very challenging, but if you're passionate and willing to work hard at it, it can be very rewarding. Also have a good mentor, someone who can sell you."

Professor Eileen Hoal

Professor Eileen Hoal is a core team member of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) / National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research (CBTBR), and also heads a group that investigates the human genetic susceptibility to TB in the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics. Their research involves case control and family-based association studies to find genes linked to an increased susceptibility to TB. More recently, next generation sequencing and exome analysis is being done.

"I always loved science, especially biology, but thought that medicine would be too boring. After a wonderful year doing a BA-degree, I settled down to a BSc, and then followed my interest through the twists and turns of microbiology, immunology, cell biology, and eventually to host genetics of TB," explains Hoal, who has been working in the field of genetic susceptibility to TB for over 20 years.

The most rewarding part of her job is doing experiments and finding something new and unexpected, and then trying to figure out how it works.

She adds that although it has been difficult being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, conditions have improved for women. She has managed to have a successful career and have children, but says she has had to make sacrifices in both areas of her life.

She gives the following advice to young girls considering a career in science: "Believe in yourself and go for it! Develop a thick skin. Try to job shadow in the field you are interested in, but be aware that these 'snapshots in time' don't often show you what the job is really like."

*Thato Motlhokodi is a science journalism intern with the Department of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics at SU. She obtained a BA degree in Communications at North West University. With this internship she hopes to make science accessible to everyone.

Dr Charles Awortwe received the prestigious Carl Duisberg Scholarship from the Bayer Science and Education Foundations (Africa Talents) for a six month research visit at the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology (ICEP) at the Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel in Germany.

Awortwe, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University, visited the ICEP from January to June this year to do research on herbal remedies combined with conventional drugs.

His research focus is on drug-to-drug and herb-to-drug interactions. He has a keen interest in botanicals' potential to regulate cytochrome P450 (a heterogeneous group of hemoproteins functioning as enzymes), efflux drug transporters and changes in micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) expressions upon co-administration with antiretroviral and chemotherapeutic medications.

During Awortwe's short research visit to the ICEP, he discovered there are two novel miRNAs with the potential to reduce adverse effects associated with certain cancer treatment.

The scientists at the University of Kiel are specialists in molecular pharmacology and constantly engage in translational research where both clinicians and scientists work in harmony to improve healthcare. "I had hands-on experience on new research methodologies that would benefit the postgraduate students in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology," Awortwe said."

According to Awortwe, this is an area he would like to explore. "We must desire to understand the pathophysiology of diseases and the constant increase in drug resistance by re-visiting the fundamentals of molecular biology and bioinformatics if we want to improve healthcare in our clinical environments," he said. "Precision medicine (a model that proposes the customisation of healthcare) is currently considered as a smarter and more effective mode of treatment. Thus, we have to develop better interaction between clinicians and scientists through translational science."

Two faculties join forces to present the new postgraduate programme

A new master's degree course at Stellenbosch University (SU) will help policy makers and people in non-government organisations to make educated decisions on questions about food provision and food security. The course also takes into consideration aspects of good health and the role that adequate nutrition plays therein. The two year MSc programme in Food and Nutrition Security begins in 2017.

This is the first postgraduate course at Stellenbosch University to be presented by the joint effort of two faculties. It will be housed in the Faculty of AgriSciences' Department of Food Science and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (Human Nutrition Division).

"Nutrition and food security is not only about making sure that no one goes hungry, but also about ensuring that the right kinds of food are produced and that all citizens of the country have access to healthy options to eat," says Prof Gunnar Sigge of Stellenbosch University's Department of Food Science. "This is easier said than done, because poverty and unemployment play their part in how affordable and easy it is for people to eat so-called 'healthy foods' ".

Students following the two year course shall be required to attend certain block courses at Stellenbosch. They will be able to complete further study from their home bases thanks to  telematic broadcasts and video streaming. This will enable them to study in tandem with their given career choices.

The postgraduate course is aimed especially at people who work for the government or for non-government organisations or in large corporations with a food and nutrition security focus, and who have to make decisions concerning food and nutrition security. Included in the course will be an overview of the socio-economic conditions, the various needs of rural communities versus city dwellers, and cultural differences where food preference is concerned. In terms of the health component of the course, students will learn more about the importance of certain foodstuffs in a healthy diet and the role of epidemics, as well as about functional and genetically modified foods.

Prof Gunnar Sigge of the SU Department of Food Science answered the following questions about the new programme:

What qualifications do you require to take this course?

A relevant BSc degree in the Science (3 years) and an Honours degree, OR a BSc Agriculture degree OR a four year degree in Health Sciences with a minimum pass mark of 60%, OR a Bachelors or Honours degree that has been approved by the Senate on level 8 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), with the same pass mark as mentioned above.

Do students need to be selected for this course?

Yes, only a specified number of students are chosen for this course per annum.

What is the timeframe involved?

The programme stretches over a minimum of two years, but it is not necessary for students to be on campus full-time.

What is the format of the course?

It is a structured programme which is presented mainly by means of technologically assisted instruction, in combination with courses on the Stellenbosch campus of Stellenbosch University. The programme comprises twelve theoretic modules and a research project.

Students are expected to complete a series of compulsory modules in the first year. Under consideration will be the conceptualisation of food systems, perils and risks in connection with food safety, and the role of the agricultural sector in ensuring food security.

In the field of health, students will learn more about epidemics, the role of different foodstuffs and their importance for good health, functional and genetically modified kinds of foods, and the food chain. In their second year students will find out more about how to assess aspects of food security and how to formulate policies in this regard.

Where can prospective students find out more about what it entails?

For inquiries about the programme content, please contact Prof Gunnar Sigge, chairman of the SU Department of Food Science at gos@sun.ac.za, or Prof Xikombiso Mbhenyane at xgm@sun.ac.za. For general inquiries, contact Ms Ghafsa Gamiet (ghgamiet@sun.ac.za) or Ms Cheryl Nieuwoudt (cn2@sun.ac.za).

​Stellenbosch University (SU) supports the sectoral approach that universities require a minimum income increase of 8% for 2017.

This is according to Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers in a statement earlier this week to staff and students. This income could come from a variety of sources, including state subsidy, student fees and an array of other private sources of funding. An income increase below 8% for 2017 is likely to compromise the financial position of at least 17 of the 26 higher education institutions, he said.

He also encouraged input from students and staff. The email address for feedback is studentinfo@sun.ac.za.

The recipe to achieve great academic success includes five ingredients: Dedication, dedication, dedication, discipline and dedication.

This is how Charl du Plessis, the 2016 recipient of the CGW Schumann medal for the best postgraduate student in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences explains his outstanding results. "Nothing can replace hard work," he adds.

Prof Stan du Plessis, Dean of the Faculty, presented the medal to him at a function held in Stellenbosch on Wednesday, 17 August. The medal is named after the Faculty's first dean and has been awarded annually since 1986.

Du Plessis' academic performance in his four years of study at Stellenbosch University, where he completed an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in Actuarial Science, was truly exceptional.

Prof Garrett Slattery, head of Actuarial Science, wrote in his motivation that while it is not uncommon for exceptional students to score over 90% for some modules, Du Plessis scored over 90% for virtually every module in his Bachelor's degree (including his additional modules), with several module marks of 100%.

"Not only were his marks magnificent in these very demanding degrees, but he also managed to fit in several additional subjects, demonstrating a thirst for knowledge rather than a desire to simply keep his marks high by taking the lightest permissible load."

Du Plessis registered for an additional (40-credit) Master's level module (during his honours degree) – General Insurance Fellowship Principles, which covers the application of actuarial principles to short-term insurance. The final examination of the Actuarial Society of South Africa in this subject was written by over 50 students and he scored the top examination mark.

"He will be recommended for all of the available exemptions from the examinations of the Actuarial Society of South Africa based on performance in equivalent university modules taken in his Bachelors and Honours degrees," added Prof Slattery.

"While we always have very good students in our honours degree the difficulty of the work means that we do not generally award high marks. In the past 10 years we have only had two other students who performed at a level comparable to that of Mr du Plessis, both of whom were recipients of the Chancellor's Medal."

It has always been Du Plessis' goal to do well and he is very happy about this award.

He values the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills he developed during his studies and believes a culture of self-learning and continuous hard work are important for success.

Du Plessis, who matriculated from Stellenberg High School and achieved second place in the Western Cape for the National Senior Certificate examinations in 2011, is continuing his process of learning at Ernst & Young in Cape Town.

"I'm enjoying it and I'm gaining valuable experience about and exposure to the financial industry."

When he is not working, he enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with family and friends and visiting spots in and around Cape Town.

Photo: Prof Willie Conradie, chairperson of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Prof Garrett Slattery, head of Actuarial Science, medal winner Charl du Plessis, and Prof Stan du Plessis, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Photographer: Hennie Rudman, SCPS.

​Liver cancer in Africans tends to occur between the ages of 30 and 40. But a study has found that it occurs at a significantly younger age in those who are infected with HIV and hepatitis B.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

People who have both hepatitis B and HIV may have a greater chance of developing liver cancer at a young age, according to our new study.

The study, to be published shortly, involved patients from cancer units. The results showed that the age profile of liver cancer patients was affected by HIV. Liver cancer in Africans occurs at a young age: between the ages of 30 and 40 years. But we found that it occurs at a significantly younger age in those who are infected with HIV and hepatitis B.

Liver cancer is the third most common cause of death among the seven million people who die from cancer annually across the globe.

Early death from liver cancer could be reduced if HIV-positive people were more rigorously screened for hepatitis B.

Diagnosing hepatitis B in HIV-infected people is important because it is treatable. But it often goes undiagnosed. Second, hepatitis B appears to be more aggressive in HIV as viral loads are higher and it is more difficult to clear. The rates of liver cancer may be higher and the risk of onward transmission is greater.

Our study is significant because it highlights the need for early diagnosis of hepatitis B. Screening for the infection is not currently taking place and, as a result, patients are presenting with cancer at a young age, with a late-stage malignancy that could be prevented.

Tackling hepatitis B

There have been dramatic improvements in the management of HIV over the past decade. But hepatitis B infection and its prevention and treatment is not receiving the same attention or funding.

Hepatitis B is inflammation of the liver, transmitted through contact with the blood or the body fluids of an infected person. It affects more than 75 million people in Africa.

Hepatitis B is an important international public health problem. We know that more people die from viral hepatitis (that is chronic hepatitis B and C) than from malaria, HIV or tuberculosis. About 240 million people world wide have chronic hepatitis B infection. Globally, roughly 10% of all people living with HIV are estimated to have chronic hepatitis B co-infection.

A safe and effective vaccine for hepatitis B was developed more than 20 years ago, making it possible to eliminate the infection. But more resources are needed to tackle the two big challenges around hepatitis: early diagnosis and mother-to-child transmission, which is often underestimated and overlooked.

The main challenge is around getting recognition from public health experts and politicians that viral hepatitis is an important public health issue. Cost effective, rapid tests that perform well are available to identify those who have active infection. These tests need to be rolled out to primary care clinics and to hospitals.

The other challenge is around mother-to-child transmission of the disease. Part of the problem is that routine screening for hepatitis B during pregnancy is still nonexistent in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, highly infectious pregnant women remain unidentified and their infants are infected. This perpetuates the cycle of infection in communities.

Receiving the hepatitis B vaccine at birth can prevent the transmission of the hepatitis B virus from an infected mother to her baby. Previous research has shown that pregnant women with both hepatitis B and HIV are at high risk of transmitting the infection to their infants.

Yet in South Africa and many other sub-Saharan countries, the vaccine is only administered when the baby is six weeks old, leaving the infant vulnerable to infection at the time of birth.

To change this, the first dose of the vaccine must be brought closer to the time of birth to reduce the risk of perinatal infection and for the implementation of routine screening for hepatitis B virus infection during pregnancy and when HIV is diagnosed.

A dedicated approach

The increasing availability of drugs for the treatment of hepatitis infection has exposed the lack of cost-effective methods for diagnosis and monitoring in resource-poor settings.

And earlier this year the World Health Assembly ratified a strategy of elimination. This is the first ever strategy for the elimination of viral hepatitis. No country has yet eliminated infection. The strategy aims to:

• reduce the number of new viral hepatitis infections by 90%; and

• reduce the annual deaths from chronic viral hepatitis from 1.4 million to less than 0.5 million by 2030.

To prevent hepatitis B-related liver cancer, the hepatitis B vaccine must be available to all those who need it. In particular, the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine should be administered to all infants in order to prevent the onward transmission of hepatitis B from mother to child. Then we need to screen, including those with HIV, for hepatitis B infection.

In this way the prevalence of chronic infection in African communities will be reduced and those most at risk of developing liver cancer will be identified. The tools to eliminate the impact of this infection are in our hands, the question is: do we have the will to use them?

Monique Andersson, Senior Researcher and Pathologist in the Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University

Image courtesy of yodiyim at FreeDigitalPhotos.net