Isifundiswa Sase-UKZN Sihlomule Ngomklomelo Ohloniphekile Wabacwaningi Abasathuthuka

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Umcwaningi ophinde afundise e-UKZN, uDkt Andile Khathi uhlonishwe ngomklomelo wokwenza kahle wenhlangano yabacwaningi ezweni, i-National Research Foundation (NRF) Research Excellence Award esigabeni sabacwaningi abasanda kuqala umsebenzi wabo noma abasathuthuka kwezeSayensi yezeMpilo.

Lo mklomelo wethulwe kuKhathi ngesikhathi kunomcimbi wezindodo ze-NRF obuse-Century City Conference Centre eCape Town.

I-NRF yenze lemiklomelo - ebandakanya phakathi izi-R50 000 wokwenza izinto ezihlobene nocwaningo - egameni lokuthuthukisa nokwenza ngcono abacwaningi abasanda kuqala umsebenzi noma abasathuthuka kanye nabaphila nokukhubazeka. Ingxenye yenhloso wukugqugquzela abacwaningi abasha nabasafufusa ukuthi babe ngabavelele futhi ithuba lokuqonda kahle ukuthi kusho ukuthini ukuba yisifundiswa esinohlonze, njengengxenye yoguquko.

Ngokujwayelekile, umklomelo oseqophelweni eliphezulu we-NRF uhlonipha ososayensi abahlabahlosile kuleli kanye nabacwaningi abenza umsebenzi oncomekayo, uhlonza ubungcweti nokuzuza kolwazi olusha kanye nokusatshalaliswa kwalo.

UKhathi uthe: ‘Ngikuthola kunzima ukukholwa ukuthi lokhu kwenzeka kimi. Ngigqugquzelekile ukuqhubeka ngisebenze kanzima ukuze nginwebe imikhawulo kwezesayensi. Lo mklomelo angiwuthathi njengowami - kodwa ngowethimba lethu elicwaninga nge-Endocrine physiology. Sinabafundi abenze iziqu zePostgraduate (abakudala nabamanje) abasisiza ukunweba imikhawulo kanye nokwenza isayensi ibe ngcono nsuku zonke. Lo mklomelo ngabelana nawo nabalingani bami bocwaningo uDkt Sethu Ngubane kanye noDkt Ntethelelo Sibiya okuyibona engenza nabo umsebenzi wami omningi. Ngifisa ukuqhakambisa engisebenza nabo esikoleni abahlale bevule iminyango yabo kimi uma ngidinga usizo noma iseluleko. Ngidlulisa ukubonga okukhethekile kuSolwazi Musa Mabandla kanye noSolwazi Anil Chuturgoon ngokungeseka kwabo okuqhubekayo. Okokugcina, ngifisa ukubonga umndeni wami kanye nabangani. Bangabalandeli bami abakhulu abahlale bengenza ukuthi ngihlabele phambili.’

UKhathi unguMholi weZemfundo emkhakheni we-Human Physiology esikoleni seMithi yaseLabhorethri kanye neMithi yezeSayensi. Ungomunye wabasunguli nosihlalo wenhlangano yabacwaninga ngesifo sikashukela ne-Endocrine eNingizimu Afrika, i-Diabetes and Endocrine Research Society of South Africa kanye noMhleli wesihloko kwi-Frontiers in Endocrinology; okungenye yemiqingo ehamba phambili kulo mkhakha. Ungumcwaningi okleliswe ngesigaba se-Y ngokwe-NRF. Kuze kube yimanje, useshicilele imiqingo engama-55, isahluko esisodwa encwadini kanti usethwese iziqu abafundi abahlanu beziqu zePhD kanye nabayi-17 beMastazi. Kuyimanje uhlola abafundi abayisishiyagalombili beziqu zemastazi kanye nabayi-12 bePhD.

Ngowezi-2018, uKhathi usungule uhlobo olungajwayelekile lwemodeli yezilwane lwe-diet-induced prediabetes, okudala isimo lapho izinga likashukela egazini liphezulu kunokwejwayelekile kodwa elingekho phezulu ngokwanele ukuthi sekungathiwa onalesi simo unesifo sikashukela esinguhlobo lwesibili. Le modeli yayingeyokuqala emhlabeni ukuthi iphumelele ngephandle kwamakhemikhali nokukhwatshaniswa kofuzo. Ukusebenzisa le modeli, ukhombise ukuthi izinkinga ezihlobene noshukela osesigabeni sohlobo lwesibili ziqala kanjani zisegabeni sokunyuka kwezinga likashukela ongakafiki kulesi sigaba, i-prediabetic state.

Umsebenzi wakhe usubuye wenza ngcono ukuqonda ukuthi abantu abanoshukela ophezulu basengozini yokuthola izimpawu ezibucayi ze-COVID-19 kanye nokufa ngenxa yezimpawu zayo uma kuqhathaniswa ngabangenawo. Lolu cwaningo lwafakwa embikweni wenhlangano yezeMpilo yoMhlaba i-World Health Organization kudingidwa ukuthi ushukela ophezulu kumele ufakwe ohlwini lwezifo ezingamahlalakhona ezingakubeka engcupheni ye-COVID-19. Ukuhambisana nalokhu, ubuye wakha umshini omusha wokuhlola ushukela ukuze kusheshe kubonakale ushukela ophezulu kanti kuyimanje usungula umshini wokuqala okuzokwakhiwa eminye kubukelwa kuwo.

Inhloko yezokuCwaninga eKolishi lezeMpilo yezeSayensi, uSolwazi Anil Chuturgoon uthe: ‘Sidlulisa amazwi afudumele okuhalalisela uDkt Khathi. Ucwaningo lwakhe olungajwayelekile lusemkhakheni wokuphatha i-Diabetes Mellitus lapho ebehamba phambili ekusungulweni komshini omusha wokuhlola izimpawu zisaqala ze-endocrine disorders. Umcwaningi okleliswe kwi-NRF, umsebenzi wakhe wokusungula usuqashelwe kwelakuleli kanye nasemazweni omhlaba. Siyaziqhenya ngasekuzuzile kanti simfisela impumelelo enkulu emizameni yakhe yokucwaninga.’

Amagama: ngu-Lihle Sosibo

Isithombe: Sithunyelwe