Bliss as Naidoo Graduates Top of Her Class
Ms Judy Naidoo graduated top of her class for the Bachelor of Nursing degree in Advance Practice.Mrs Judy Naidoo is proud to have been named the Bachelor of Nursing Advance Practice (BNAP) in Nursing Management Best Overall Achiever.
Naidoo started studying Nursing in 1995 and completed her Diploma in Nursing (General, Community, Psychiatry) and Midwifery in 1999 at RK Khan College of Nursing, Durban.
She was employed for several years in the public and private sectors and has worked as a Registered Nurse at Lenmed eThekwini Hospital and Heart Centre’s Paediatric ward for the past 10 years.
‘There is definitely an element of shock and disbelief as I had never considered this a possibility due to my hectic life of juggling my various roles while attempting to complete my degree, such as, being permanently employed, married, being a dedicated mom as well as fulfilling the role of daughter and daughter-in-law,’ Naidoo said.
Currently registered for an honour’s degree in Nursing Education, she dreams of becoming a nurse educator who empowers, inspires and motivates nurses so that the profession can claim its rightful place in the hierarchy of professions.
‘My determination and need to achieve and advance professionally and personally keep me motivated and grounded,’ said Naidoo. ‘The support and strength I receive from my family pushes me to my limits.’
She said. She advised fellow students to, ‘Keep an open mind and always remember it’s never too late to study. Surround yourself with positive people who will help to guide and motivate you. Learning is an ongoing process and we need to be open to it and allow it to happen,’ she said.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .Proud Mom and Daughter Share Graduation Stage
Ms Harriet Mamba (right) graduated with her daughter, Ms Lindelwa Mamba, on the same day.The UKZN April 2019 Graduation was a proud moment for Mrs Harriet T Mamba and her daughter, Ms Lindelwa T Mamba, who graduated with a Master’s in Public Health and a Bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy, respectively.
‘We are excited, especially because we enrolled in different years and never anticipated that we would graduate on the same day,’ said Harriet.
She added, ‘My husband, kids, my mom and siblings are ecstatic about our achievement. The family is planning a thanksgiving.’
Harriet said Lindelwa encouraged her to register at UKZN. They supported each other along the way: ‘When you are studying, there are days that are dark and you feel like giving up, we would encourage each other to focus on the final outcome. We had a motto: “failure is not final but is delayed success”,’ she said.
Family support, commitment and prayer helped them overcome their challenges. ‘The family and church members were praying for us all the time,’ Harriet said.
Lindelwa thanked the Department of Occupational Therapy as well as her house-mates for their support; while Harriet expressed her gratitude to her supervisor, Dr Khumbulani Hlongwana and Dr Anna Voce.
Harriet is currently employed as the National HIV Linkages Co-ordinator in the Eswatini National AIDS Program and Lindelwa, is providing occupational therapy services to children at a private school. She plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, while her mother intends to enroll for her PhD.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Abhi Indrarajan
author : .author email : .New Insight into HIV Protease Mechanistic Pathway
Dr Monsurat Lawal graduated with a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.Dr Monsurat M Lawal was awarded a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry for her study on A Computational Perspective on the Concerted Cleavage Mechanism of the Natural Targets of HIV-1 Protease.
‘The applied theoretical approach resulted in the computational modeling of a new, potentially active, substrate-based inhibitor which is under experiment and would likely be patented,’ said Lawal. ‘If experimentally supported, it would provide a solution to HIV treatment.’
Lawal underwent a month-long training at the University of Florida in the United States under computational programme developer, Professor Adrian Roitberg. She said that the process was initially a tough one: ‘I needed to be extra patient and careful before getting it right. I almost gave up after five semesters of no publication! However, moral support from my family, supervisors and friends kept me going.’
She is currently mentoring postgraduate students in her research group and designing a project for her postdoctoral programme. She hopes to remain in academia in the future.
Lawal ascribed her success to her interest in reading, which was instilled by her parents. She recalled how excited they were at the prospect of her receiving her PhD: ‘Before my results came, I started avoiding my dad’s calls because his anticipation and love became overwhelming. He couldn’t wait to be called “Daddy Doctors” since my brother also has a PhD.’
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .PhD Study Focuses on Cancer Prevention
Dr Adwoa Bemah Bonsu celebrates graduating with a PhD in Nursing.Dr Adwoa Bemah Bonsu was awarded a PhD in Nursing for her study that aimed to develop a hospital-based model to integrate breast cancer prevention and early detection.
Titled: Integration of Prevention into Cancer Palliative Care: A Case Study of Breast Cancer in a Tertiary Hospital, Ghana, the study was supervised by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Busi Ncama.
‘My thesis focused on breast cancer prevention and early detection among women, especially first-degree relatives and micro-communities (friends, working colleagues, co-tenants, church members) of advanced breast cancer patients within the context of palliative care,’ explained Bonsu.
She added that breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women in most low-and-middle-income countries including Ghana, where many women report with advanced stage disease and eventually die from the disease.
‘Hence the need to address the problem through stage shifting to increase the chances of survival through early detection,’ she said.
‘My study analysed the concepts that emerged from the experiences and views shared by women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, their first-degree relatives and clinicians working in a palliative care clinic as well as the micro-communities of the patients to develop a hospital-based model that integrates breast cancer prevention and early detection into cancer palliative care,’ Bonsu said. ‘This may present a preventive and early detection approach to suffering as it is a definite purpose of palliative care.’
A registered nurse with 10 years’ clinical experience in Adult Health and Oncology, Bonsu obtained her BSc and MPhil in Nursing before embarking on doctoral studies. She lectures in the Nursing Department at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and also co-ordinates the postgraduate Nursing programme at the University.
‘I love teaching, reading and cooking. I know I am ambitious and a go-getter, however, I always thrive on God’s strength and special favour as well as the willpower to succeed,’ she said.
Bonsu is married with two children, ‘My family feels great about my achievements! They are very proud,’ she added.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .PhD Study Focuses on Gender-Based Violence
Dr Olufunmilayo Fawole graduated with a PhD in Medicine for her study on gender-based violence.Lecturer and Medical Consultant, Dr Olufunmilayo Fawole was awarded her PhD in Clinical Health Professions Education for her study that aimed to prepare Medical students to recognise and respond to gender-based violence.
Supervised by Dr Jacqueline van Wyk in the School of Clinical Medicine, the mixed methods research revealed the need to review and develop a training curriculum for Medical students that addresses gender-based violence. It also suggests that the Medical faculty requires training in this area. The other important finding of her study was that victim - patients wished to be asked about their violent experiences and therefore, physicians should selectively screen patients for abuse.
Her study is unique in that it is one of the first to address gender based violence prevention by addressing Medical training in sub-Saharan Africa. Fawole plans to develop a training curriculum for Medical schools during her post-doctoral service.
‘My experience at UKZN was a pleasant one and my supervisor was very helpful. I just wish I had started my PhD journey earlier than I did,’ she said.
Words: Lihle Sosibo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Disability No Match for Top Student
Mr Meluleki Thethwayo, who is partially blind, was named one of the top three students in his Discipline. He is congratulated by Dr Saul Cobbing, Head of Physiotherapy.Partially blind Physiotherapy graduate, Mr Meluleki Thethwayo’s dream came true when he was named one of the top three students in his Discipline.
‘I never thought that this would come to pass,’ he said. ‘Everything is through the power of God.’
Thethwayo started wearing glasses at the age of seven and was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, glaucoma and cataracts.
Born in the Mfekayi area of Mtubatuba, he faced many challenges at university, including not being able to see the screen and to view anatomy specimens. ‘I also had difficulties in clinical settings and was stigmatised by other health professionals,’ he said.
A born-again Christian, Thethwayo thanked his family, especially his parents and aunts; as well as his friend, Ntokozo Nxele, for encouraging him to complete his degree. ‘Brethren played an imperative role with their prayers. They gave me strength to push on,’ he said. He also expressed his gratitude to the UKZN Disability Unity, his Physiotherapy lecturers and the Student Development advisors at the REAP Bursary office.
Thethwayo is currently doing his community service at Ngwelezana Hospital at Empangeni and is looking forward to registering for a master’s degree at UKZN next year. ‘I plan to become a lecturer in Physiotherapy,’ he said.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .PhD Study Unveils Therapeutic Combination to Reduced Knee Pain
Dr Zubair Usman graduates with a PhD in Physiotherapy for his study on Knee Osteoarthritis.Dr Zubair Usman’s study on the Effect of Electrotherapy on Pain, Functional Activities, and Health-related Quality of Life of Nigerian Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis found that a therapeutic combination of electrotherapy significantly reduced knee pain and improved the functional activities and quality of life of patients. This will reduce overdependence on the analgesic drugs used to manage this condition which is associated with serious side effects.
The study adds to the literature on the use of Interferential current therapy (IFC), therapeutic ultrasound (US) and the combination therapy (CT) in the rehabilitation of patients with impaired physical functions and quality of life.
The multi-centre study randomly assigned patients to four groups: US (n = 34), IFC (n=34), CT (n=33), and control (n=32). Each group had three treatment sessions per week for 12 weeks.
Participants in the control group received heat therapy using infrared radiation. The visual analogue scale, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, Short Form-36 Health Survey questionnaire, as well as goniometer were used to assess pain severity, functional activity, Health-related Quality of Life and knee range of motion respectively.
All measurements were taken and recorded at baseline and post-treatment. Usman said the primary outcome measures were pain, functional activity, and health-related quality of life; with active and passive knee range of motion being secondary outcomes.
The use of electrotherapy modalities - CT (US & IFC), US and IFC - proved beneficial and resulted in less severe pain and improved functional activity and HRQoL in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. However, none of the modalities was more effective than the others.
Usman is currently conducting clinical studies to enhance evidence-based practice and translate research into practice for quality healthcare delivery.
He enjoys reading and travelling and believes that the harder you work, the luckier you get.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .PhD Thesis Investigates Antibiotic Resistance
Dr Nicholas Agyepong graduates with a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences.Dr Nicholas Agyepong graduated with a PhD in Pharmaceutics following a study on Molecular Profile of Gram-negative ‘ESKAPE’ Pathogens from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana under the supervision of Professor Sabiha Essack and Drs Alex Owusu-Ofori and Usha Govinden.
According to Agyepong, antibiotic resistance is a global problem that is particularly severe in sub-Saharan Africa.
‘This has led to bacterial infections becoming a major cause of morbidity and mortality, commonly due to ESKAPE (Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp) pathogens,’ he said.
The study examined the mechanisms of resistance among Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana and identified the genes encoding resistance for different classes of antibiotics.
‘P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae were found to be the most predominant bacterial pathogens. The study revealed the presence of ß-lactamase genes in diverse combinations with non-ß-lactamase resistance genes among the pathogens. The Gram-negative ESKAPE bacteria were multidrug and extensively-drug resistant. Meropenem was noted as the most effective ß-lactam antibiotic (the safest and cheapest) against this group of bacteria in Ghana.’
According to Agyepong, the whole genome sequence (WGS) technology used to elucidate the resistance genes was the first of its kind in Ghana. He added that the findings are a wake-up call for urgent antibiotic stewardship and control interventions in Ghana and will also inform strategies to contain antibiotic resistance across the region.
He experienced some challenges during his study, including the fact that the scholarship he received from the College of Health Sciences did not cover some critical aspects of the research, such as hands-on WGS training. His future plans include lecturing and research.
Agyepong said that his family is proud and grateful to the Almighty for his achievement. In his free time, he listens to gospel music and the saying the words: ‘where there is no adversity, there can be no advancement’ keep him going.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .Record Number of Summa Cum Laude Graduates for School of Health Sciences
Pharmacy summa cum laude graduates, celebrate excellence.Twenty-seven students in the School of Health Sciences were awarded their Bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude.
They are Ms Casey Lee Van Den Berg, Ms Micaela Ashley Brown, Ms Gcwalisile Mabaso, Ms Susanna Margit Desmet, Ms Nomonde Ngidi, Ms Husna Mahomed, Mr Travis Lee Ajodha, Ms Maseehah Bayat, Mr Mishen Brijlal, Desmaine Chetty, Asma Chohan, Ms Alisha Dasruth, Ms Aalia Dawood, Ms Kaneez Fatima Fakey, Ms Humraaz Kaja, Ms Nikitta Maharaj, Ms Pooja Maharaj, Ms Maseeha Muslim, Ms Keshmika Narain, Ms Salma Patel, Mr Adrian Pather, Tenielle Pillay, Ms Yashna Sukdeo, Mr Mohamed Hoosen Suleman, Mr Darian Velayadum, Ms Sinethemba Thobeka Hazel Zondi and Mr Aziza Mulla.
‘I am truly honoured and proud to have qualified as a top student in Audiology whilst being among highly intellectual colleagues,’ said Mahomed. ‘It is a really proud moment for my family. They’ve always believed in me and pushed me to become the person I am today.’
She plans to complete a Master’s degree in Audiology, and thereafter further her academic career.
Pillay, who was one of the top Pharmacy students, said her parents were overjoyed at her achievement.
‘It means everything. As a student, your main aim is to graduate no matter what the result, so to be able to graduate with such results truly felt like an accomplishment,’ she said.
Pillay is currently doing her internship at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, Hospital, Durban. Following community service, she plans to gain experience in industry or register for a masters.
‘One of the great things about studying Pharmacy is the diversity that the degree offers you and I’m hoping to make the most of it,’ she said.
Velayadum was also one of the top achievers in Pharmacy. He said that he was truly humbled that God had blessed him with the wisdom, knowledge and understanding required. He added that his family is extremely proud of his accomplishments, especially his grandmother who has always been his biggest supporter. His future plans include completing his community service in Cape Town and opening a chain of pharmacies. His advice to final-year students is, ‘Be consistent, work diligently and do not worry about the pace at which others achieve their results - concentrate on yourself. Be the best version of you and always regard yourself as your own competition!’
Fellow Pharmacy student, Kaja said, ‘This degree was quite a demanding emotional rollercoaster but dedication, perseverance and hard work finally paid off.’ She is currently an academic intern and hopes to complete her Master’s in Pharmacy this year. ‘After community service, I see myself working to gain experience in all sectors in Pharmacy and striving to put the knowledge I’ve gained to the best possible use,’ she said. ‘Who I am today and what I’ve achieved is only because of my family. I am forever grateful to my parents.’
‘I am truly honoured and privileged to have completed my degree as one of the top student in the Discipline,’ said another Pharmacy top student, Suleman. ‘My hard work and dedication has indeed paid off,’ he added. He advised those who are still studying to prioritise their time by putting their studies first. ‘Never give up! Remain steadfast in your prayer and seek guidance from God.’
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .Master’s in Pharmacy Awarded Cum Laude
Dr Elizabeth Ojewole congratulates her student, Ms Shimona Prosad.Ms Shimona Prosad graduated with a Master's in Pharmacy degree cum laude for her study entitled: Experiences of Implanon NXT® users at Public Health Facilities in South Africa. Her study, the first in South Africa, has provided evidence that can be used by policymakers to support Implanon NXT® prescription guidelines, counselling protocols and training materials in public health facilities.
Implanon NXT® is a contraceptive implant also known as the “rod”, the “stick” or the Implant. It is inserted under the skin of the upper arm using local anaesthetic, and slowly releases the hormone etonogestrel. It lasts up to three years and possible side effects include dysmenorrhea, new acne, mood swings, headaches and breast tenderness.
Prosad conducted a retrospective, analytical study of data from the national Department of Health Pharmacovigilance Centre for Public Health Programmes, using the case reports submitted from 1 April 2015 to 11 September 2017 with 3 743 cases extracted and analysed. Tests of association were performed using demographics, adverse drug reactions and discontinuation variables. Her findings indicated that 20 -24-year-olds were the most frequent users of the contraceptive implant. Discontinuation was reported by 63.56% of case reports and premature discontinuation was reported by 81.1%.
The main reasons for discontinuation include adverse drug reactions (ADRs), menorrhagia, headaches and dizziness. Interestingly, in Gauteng, the ADRs and other side effects accounted for discontinuation but in KwaZulu-Natal, the main reasons were pregnancy and drug interaction. Prosad also found that premature discontinuation of Implanon NXT® was higher in Gauteng at 82.6% than in KwaZulu-Natal at 76.7%.
Prosad hopes that the evidence from her study will assist in interventions such as educating users on ADRs of Implanon NXT® and raising awareness of the failure of the product. Furthermore, users need to be counselled on the risk of drug interaction with the implant.
Prosad, who was awarded a College of Health Sciences scholarship, thanked her family for their ongoing support: ‘My family always encouraged me to persevere throughout the challenges of my research. Their positivity and moral support gave me strength to achieve my master's. My mom spent many nights siting up with me to proof read my work. My fiancé was my 24-hour IT support centre, and my sister’s sound medical advice guided me.’
She is currently employed in Gauteng as a Pharmacy manager. Her immediate goals include future employment in the pharmacovigilance sector at a pharmaceutical company and if the opportunity presents, pursuing doctoral studies. ‘More immediately, I am busy planning my wedding,’ she said.
Dr Elizabeth Ojewole who supervised the study commented, ‘I am so excited for my student, she worked so hard and deserves the cum laude and more. Shimona Prosad was in my research group of final-year BPharm students at UKZN and was the group leader. She was an exceptional student during her undergraduate research days, and she finished her BPharm degree in 2014. I invited her to pursue a master’s degree. She came back to UKZN in 2017 and pushed her master’s studies nonstop until completion. I am super proud.’
Words: MaryAnn Francis
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .Doctoral Study Probes Covalent Drug Design
An excited Dr Shama Khan after graduating with her PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.Dr Shama Khan graduated with a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry following a study titled: Comparative Studies of Covalent and Non-Covalent Drug Inhibitory Mechanisms of ERK2 and PTP1B Proteins in Cancer Therapy using Bioinformatics and Molecular Modelling Techniques.
Supervised by the Dean and Head of the School of Health Sciences, Professor Mahmoud Soliman, the study aimed to fill the gap in covalent drug design research against different enzymes and offer insight into the covalent and non-covalent mechanism of inhibition.
Covalent drugs occupy a very distinct category in the therapeutics. ‘Drugs that bound covalently to their target protein have a long history in drug design and development therapy. With a critical disease like cancer, computational methods including molecular covalent docking, molecular modelling and covalent dynamic simulations have allowed chemists to screen millions of small molecule compounds and thus identify possible leads,’ said Khan. She added that this is a cost-effective approach to fast-track the drug development process.
‘Since the covalent bonds are considerably stronger than the non-covalent bonds, the design and development of covalent inhibitors suggested the potential for inhibitors with improved potency over non-covalent inhibitors,’ Khan explained.
She said Soliman’s research and the fact that UKZN is rated as ‘one of the best institutions in South Africa’ influenced her decision to study at the University.
Khan has published five research articles in peer-reviewed journals with a high impact factor. She noted that Soliman’s support helped her to overcome the protocol challenges she faced and that her collaboration with Stanford University was very fruitful. She is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Khan is the first person in her family to graduate with a PhD. She thanked her parents and brother as well as her fiancé for their support.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal
author : .author email : .PhD Study Investigates Factors Inhibiting Malaria Treatment
Dr Gideon Femi Tolufashe who graduated with a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.Dr Gideon Femi Tolufashe graduated with a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry following a novel study on L,D-transpeptidase 5 (LdtMt5) from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis using computational methods.
‘The aim was to identify potential inhibitors yielding to the treatment of malaria for which new drugs are needed,’ he explained.
The study investigated the inhibition mechanism of LdtMt5 from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by carbapenems using molecular dynamics and transition state structural models. It employed the computational techniques: Molecular dynamics (Amber), Virtual Screening and Molecular docking using different software namely DFT, and QM/MM ONIOM (Gaussian).
Virtual screening of new compounds was undertaken to propose potential novel leads for LdtMt5. ‘The investigation was adopted to clarify the acylation process of carbapenems, compute their activation energies and propose new ß-lactams inhibitors with lower activation energies in comparison to the known FDA approved carbapenems,’ explained Tolufashe.
The study produced three published articles, one under review and two co-authored articles. Tofulashe’s results were published in reputable ISI journals and he presented oral and poster presentations at different conferences.
Tolufashe said he was motivated to study at UKZN because it is among the top universities in South Africa with a strong scientific core and cutting-edge research and innovation, ‘In addition, good welfare in terms of student bursaries and scholarships attracted me,’ he added.
Tolufashe is currently working on a project funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology at the University of Porto, Portugal, and is also a visiting postdoctoral researcher at the Singular Research Center in Biological and Molecular Chemistry at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
‘I love teaching, reading and listening to music. My driving force is my ever-answering God and doing my best in everything I tackle,’ he said.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .