1. health and fitness

Nov-Dec 2014
The Faculty ends 2014 on a high note with a bumper November/December edition of the Research Newsletter. From
the activities displayed in this Newsletter, it is evident that research is alive and well and thriving in the Wits Faculty
of Health Sciences! Faculty researchers have made a significant contribution to the University’s research enterprise
over the last few years and must be complimented on their ground-breaking findings, productivity, capacity
development, entrepreneurial spirit and hard work! Well done to you all! We wish you a restful festive season and
hope that you will return with renewed energy to face the research opportunities of 2015!
With warm wishes on behalf of the Editorial team, Bev Kramer
Congratulations to Professor Ugo Ripamonti and Professor
Geoffrey Candy for being awarded the Blue Skies Funding
Instrument - Concept Notes (BSCN) NRF Grant for 2015.
Professor Ripamonti received the grant for his research
entitled ‘Transfiguration of neoplastic tumoral masses into
bone for superior surgical debridement’. Ugo is the Director
of the Bone Research Laboratory, School of Oral Health
Sciences. To read more about his research see page 5.
Professor Candy from the Department of Surgery, School of
Clinical Medicine was awarded the grant to determine
whether the ulcer causing bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, produces cardiotonic steroid-substances known to affect
blood pressure. His research is entitled ‘Cardiotonic steroids produced by gut microflora in hypertension and other
disease’. To read the summary of Professor Candy’s research see page 5.
NOV_DEC 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |2
Congratulations to the Wits Health Sciences researchers who have received
new ratings or re-ratings for 2015 for a period of five years. Professor Justus
Hofmeyr, Professor Kathy Kahn and Associate Professor Penny Moore
attained B ratings, Professor Lize Maree and Associate Professor Gill Nelson
received C ratings. Associate Professor Sandy van Vuuren and Associate
Professor Aimee Stewart both received a re-ratings and Dr Wendy van der Spuy received a Y2 rating.
In the past two months the MRC: Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens
Research Unit (RMPRU)/ DST/ NRF SARCHI on Vaccine Preventable
Disease (VPD), School of Pathology, University of Witwatersrand, has been
awarded three grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a total
value of approximately R100 million. These funds will be used for
independent studies with the global aim to define the public-health
importance of three infectious diseases during the first few months of life.
One project, which received R8 million, will focus on determining the burden of pertussis disease in South Africa, with a
particular focus on infants under six months of age, who could theoretically be protected against pertussis through
vaccination of their mothers during pregnancy. The study will be undertaken during 12 months among young infants
hospitalized at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto.
R31 million was allocated to the RMPRU/VPD to evaluate the effectiveness of influenza vaccination of pregnant women
against influenza-associated hospitalization in HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed infants under six months of age. With
these funds RMPRU/VPD aims to increase the coverage of influenza vaccination of pregnant women in Soweto to at least
50% during the course of the next three years.
A further R60 million will be used to coordinate a multicentre study that will measure the prevalence of Group B
Streptococcus (GBS) colonization at delivery and the vertical acquisition rate of GBS in newborns of colonized women in
eight countries in South Asia and Africa. Standardized methods for sample collection, bacterial culture and bacteria
identification across the different study sites will be implemented under RMPRU/VPD supervision. The purpose of this
three year project is to contribute towards delineating the public-health importance of invasive GBS disease across
different low/middle income countries and particularly the likely role of GBS as the cause of invasive disease during the
newborn period. The study will explore maternal GBS colonization at birth and rate of transfer to the newborns, GBS
serotype distribution associated with colonization and natural acquired serotype-specific anti-capsular antibody in
different countries. These results will be used in a modelling exercise to determine the expected incidence of invasive
GBS disease across different low/middle income countries.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Nov_Dec 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |3
Congratulations to the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU) which recently received
MRC extramural unit status. This is an exceptional achievement. The AGTRU is led by Professor
Patrick Arbuthnot. The long term objectives of AGTRU are to advance gene therapy for treatment
of viral infections, develop human capacity in the field through the training of young scientists and
to translate the Unit’s technologies into products. The AGTRU is equipped as a modern molecular
biology research laboratory and has expertise in a range of techniques. These are advanced
methods of nucleic acid manipulation, gene transfer to mammalian cells, use of lipoplex and
recombinant viral vectors. AGTRU is set up to investigate efficacy of antiviral compounds in vivo in
murine (e.g. HBV transgenic mice) and cell culture models of viral replication.
Professor Charles Feldman, Professor of Pulmonology, Chief Physician and Director of the
Pulmonary Infections Research Unit was honoured by the European Respiratory Society. He
was elected to be one of the first group of 125 Foundation Fellows of the European Respiratory
Society for his continued contribution to research in the respiratory field. Professor Feldman is
a member of various local, national and international bodies, including, more recently, the
following: Immediate past-President of the South Africa Pulmonology Society; Member (and
past Chairman) of the Johannesburg Regional Branch of the Critical Care Society of South
Africa; International Governor for South Africa for the American College of Chest Physicians.
Associate Professor Colin Menezes was awarded the TH Bothwell research prize for 2014, the
premier research prize in the Department of Internal Medicine. Professor Menezes is a Principal
Specialist in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical
Medicine. He completed his PhD in 2013 and has been involved in several HIV and TB researchrelated projects.
Congratulations to Professor Karen Sliwa who was recently elected President of the South
African Heart Association. At the recent Annual General Meeting which took place in October in
Durban. Professor Sliwa is the Director of the Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in
Africa, University of Cape Town and Director of the Soweto Cardiovascular Research Unit
(SOCRU), University of the Witwatersrand. She is internationally recognized for her outstanding
work in the area of heart failure. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a subject close to Professor
Sliwa's heart and her research in this field over the past two decades has helped identify the
underlying mechanism and straightforward interventions.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Nov_Dec 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |4
Congratulations to Professor Mervyn Mer who has received a large Educational Grant from
AstraZeneca. The grant will assist in enhancing research being carried out in the domain of
Critical Care in the Faculty. It will also further enhance the collaboration with Professor Jeffrey
Lipman from the University of Queensland. Professor Mer is a hands-on clinician; he is involved
in various aspects of clinical research, and has participated in more than 850 lectures and
presentations, both nationally and internationally. He has received numerous awards; recently
he was the first recipient of the Hilda Datnow Jacobson award (awarded to the most competent,
caring and capable doctor in the profession, irrespective of field of interest). Well done to
Mervyn on obtaining the grant. The Faculty acknowledged the support of AstraZeneca.
The Bert Myburgh Award ceremony is an annual event in the Department of Surgery to showcase research undertaken
throughout the year by Departmental registrars and researchers.
This year’s winner is Dr Daniel Surridge, whose research focus on determining the reason for blockage which sometimes
occurs following an operation to remove haemorrhoids. Dr Surridge and Dr Bebington his co-author, used an animal
model to demonstrate that a blockage would result from using a stapler outside the suture. Alan Gould won 2nd Prize for
his on-going research on an indigenous herb used by traditional healers for wound healing. Finally, thrombocytopenia is
common in burn victims. Dr Imtiaz Bahemia from the Burns Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital won third prize by
showing that decline in platelets on day 3 and 10 after admission were poor predictors of survival in burn victims.
Photograph (left to right): Surgery’s Martin Smith congratulating the winners of this year’s Bert Myburgh Research
Forum 1st Prize winner Daniel Surridge, and runners up Alan Gould (2nd Prize) and Imtiaz Bahemia.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Nov_Dec 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |5
Following important discoveries on the induction of
bone formation by the third mammalian transforming
growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3), the Bone Research
Laboratory
(BRL)
of
the
University
of
the
Witwatersrand has recently shown novel mechanistic
insights on the induction of bone formation by the
recombinant human TGF-β3. Doses of the hTGF-β3
Rapid induction of bone formation from transformation of
the rectus abdominis muscle of a Chacma baboon Papio
ursinus upon intramuscular heterotopic implantation of
125 µg hTGF-β3
protein initiate the cascade of bone formation via the
The NRF-supported study on the ‘Transfiguration of
expression of several profiled bone morphogenetic
neoplastic tumoral masses into bone for superior
protein genes. The BRL has also shown that the
surgical
hTGF-β3 protein is the most powerful bone inductive
Professor Ugo Ripamonti and Dr Raquel Duarte,
morphogen so far tested in non-human primates. The
together with a team of molecular and cellular
BRL has proposed novel concept notes to the
biologists, Drs Therese Dix-Peek, Brenda Milner,
National Research Foundation (NRF) because of the
Caroline Dickens and Roland Klar
debridement’
will
be
undertaken
by
rapid and substantial transformation of the rectus
abdominis striated muscle into newly formed induced
bone. The morphological and molecular evidence of
the rapid transfiguration of muscle tissue into bone
by hTGF-β3 has indicated to the BRL a further novel
biological function of the hTGF-β3 isoform, i.e. its
injection into malignant neoplastic primary and
secondary masses to induce rapid transfiguration of
the injected tumours into bone, thus facilitating
tumoral ablation and its surgical debridement.
Transfiguration of neoplastic masses
will
also
transfigure this novel oncologic treatment into the
tissue engineering paradigm whereby neoplastic
masses are engineered by soluble morphogenetic
signals
into
debridement.
bone
for
later
more
surgical
Professor Geoff Candy was recently awarded a NRF
Blue Skies research grant to determine whether the
ulcer-causing
bacterium,
Helicobacter
pylori,
produces cardiotonic steroids – substances known to
affect blood pressure. In 1976 it was shown that the
presence of indigenous gastrointestinal microbial
flora lowered gut mucosal Na+/K+-ATPase pump
activity in mice. Data presented at the 2014 Faculty
Research Day (Nel & Candy, 2014) showed that
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Nov_Dec 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |6
ouabain, a cardiotonic steroid and ATPase pump
training programmes that are common practice in
inhibitor, also blocked arginine uptake associated
South Africa. Due to the high incidence of post stroke
with nitric oxide production. Independently the
survivors with HIV it was important to establish if this
researchers have shown that antibiotic treatment to
training programme produces comparable effects in
eradicate H. pylori is associated with changes in
HIV-positive and HIV-negative subjects.
blood pressure. This study may demonstrate a role
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
for gut microbes in hypertension.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
A total of 144 subjects with stroke were stratified
The available resources for
and randomly assigned to one of three training
stroke
and
groups. Six sessions of sixty minutes each were
rehabilitation are lacking in
conducted for the task and strength groups. The
developing
countries
control group attended one multidisciplinary training
Africa,
session during the study period. The primary
particularly in rural areas.
objective was to assess walking competency, which
Currently
with
includes measurement of walking endurance, gait
stroke are discharged from
speed, functional balance and mobility (Salbach et
hospitals
al., 2004).
including
care
South
patients
in
the
public
healthcare sector within six
to 14 days of having a
The task group showed a significant difference
stroke, because of the pressure for hospital beds
greater than the strength of control groups in
(Mudzi, 2009; Reid et al., 2005; Hale et al., 2004). As
walking endurance, gait speed, functional mobility
a result, patients are not being rehabilitated and a
and balance at the six month follow-up. This finding
large number of persons with disabilities are
demonstrates that the provision of as little as six
discharged and the burden of care is placed on the
sessions of task training (in a developing country,
families who do not know how to cope, in under
where persons with sub-acute stroke have had no
resourced communities. It is extremely concerning
previous
that there is little or no rehabilitation provided to
competency to a significantly greater extent than
stroke survivors in the public healthcare sector in
either a strength intervention of equal intensity, or a
South Africa (Mudzi, 2009; Rhoda and Hendry 2003;
control intervention programme.
rehabilitation)
improves
walking
Hale and Wallner, 1996; Stewart et al., 1994).
There were no significant differences among the
With this in mind, the aim of the study by Dr Megan
groups in the change scores for the measures of
Knox, who recently graduated from the Department
walking competency between the HIV-positive and
of Physiotherapy with a PhD, was to determine if an
HIV-negative subjects throughout the study period.
out-patient-based
training
The results of this study demonstrate that an
programme conducted with only six sessions would
extremely limited intensity of a group-based task
improve walking competency more than the current
training programme resulted in significantly greater
task
oriented
group
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Nov_Dec 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |7
improvements in walking competency than the
Dr Knox presented this research at the Stroke and
current therapeutic approaches. These results are far
Hypertension Congress 2014 and won first prize for
reaching as six to eight patients can receive
the Best Paper Presentation in the Discovery Health
rehabilitation in the same amount of time as one.
Clinical Excellence Awards. Her project was entitled
‘Does a little go a long way? Efficient rehabilitation of
persons with stroke in the public health-care sector
in RSA’.
population-level
transmission,
impact
and
price
of
the
gel
thresholds
on
at
HIV
which
widespread product introduction would be as costeffective as male circumcision in urban South Africa.
Using a dynamic HIV/STI transmission model,
Women are at an increased risk for HIV infection in
sub-Saharan Africa and there is an urgent need to
develop methods for HIV prevention that are under
their direct control. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
involves
the use of antiretroviral
parameterised and fitted to Gauteng HIV prevalence
in an earlier collaboration, the impact of gel use over
15 years was estimated.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
(ART)-based
products prior to sexual exposure to prevent HIV
infection. In 2010, the results of the CAPRISA 004
trial provided proof-of-concept for topically applied
products or microbicides that can be used at PrEP. In
this trial, tenofovir gel applied before and after sex
was shown to reduce HIV infection by 39%.
Currently, Wits investigators Professor Helen Rees
and Professor Glenda Gray are leading a phase III
trial, FACTS 001, to confirm the initial findings that
tenofovir gel can be used to prevent HIV infection in
women, and ensure licensure of this product for
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The findings showed that tenofovir gel use could lead
to a 12.5% reduction in population-level HIV
incidence within 15 years. Microbicide introduction
was predicted by the model to be highly costeffective at < $300 per DALY averted, though the
widespread use.
dose price would need to be just $0.12 to be
In anticipation of the results of the FACTS 001 trial,
highly effective (83% HIV efficacy per sex-act)
equivalent to male circumcision. A single dose or
Professor Sinead Delany-Moretlwe and Professor
Helen Rees collaborated with colleagues from the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in
the UK to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis using
the CAPRISA trial findings to estimate the
regimen would allow for more realistic threshold
prices ($0.25 and $0.33 per dose, respectively)
highlighting the need to reduce product costs.
Agreements are already in place to ensure transfer to
local production in South Africa should the FACTS
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Nov_Dec 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |8
001 trial produce a positive result that leads to
hypertensive,
sleep-deprived,
obesity-resistant,
licensure by the MCC.
fever-resistant, ageing-resistant, and tumour-prone
compared to rodents housed at temperatures that
Terris-Prestholt F, Foss AM, Cox AP, Heise L, Meyer-Rath G,
Delany-Moretlwe S, Mertenskoetter T, Rees H, Vickerman
P and Watts CH. Cost-effectiveness of tenofovir gel in
urban South Africa: model projections of HIV impact and
threshold product prices. BMC Infectious Diseases 2014,
14:14 doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-14
are comfortable for them.
Increasing the awareness of the thermoneutral zone
and the effects of ambient temperature on rodent
physiology is important if we hope to improve the
translation of experimental results from rodents to
humans.
Indeed,
potentially
every
experiment
performed on genetically modified mice is irrelevant
to human physiology if those mice live at traditional
animal house temperature.
Maloney SK, Fuller A, Mitchell D, Gordon C and Overton
JM. Translating animal model research: does it matter that
our rodents are cold? Physiology. 2014: 29; 413-420.
Professors Shane Maloney (Honorary Professorial
Research Fellow), Andrea Fuller and Duncan Mitchell
from the Brain Function Research Group in the
School of Physiology, with international colleagues,
addressed this question in a recent review in the
Rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrhoeal morbidity
prestigious journal Physiology.
and mortality in children under five years of age,
By necessity, many interventional studies that are of
interest to human biology and medicine are carried
out on laboratory rodents. Humans working indoors
are comfortable at ambient temperatures of about 20
to 24°C, within their thermoneutral zone, and so they
maintain animal housing facilities, including the
rooms at the Wits Central Animal Services, within
that range of air temperatures. However, rodents,
and other small mammals, have much higher
thermoneutral zones, above 30°C. When rodents are
housed at a traditional animal house temperature
(usually 21-22°C) they are cold stressed. Maloney
and his co-authors showed that the ambient
temperature at which laboratory rodents are housed
profoundly alters the phenotype of the animal. The
chronic cold stress that the animals are exposed to
alters not just the animal’s thermoregulation, but
also
makes
the
animals
hypermetabolic,
accounting for an estimated 453 000 global deaths
in 2008 with >90% of mortality occurring in lowincome countries in Africa and Asia. South Africa was
the first African country to introduce rotavirus
vaccine into its national immunisation programme,
beginning
August
2009,
with
vaccination
recommended at 6 and 14 weeks of age. The
effectiveness
of
hospitalisation
the
for
rotavirus
acute
vaccine
against
rotavirus-diarrhoea
in
children under two years of age was evaluated in a
multi-centered study led by the Respiratory and
Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (RMPRU). These
results were published recently in the highest ranking
infectious
diseases
journal,
Lancet
Infectious
Diseases, by Dr Michelle Groome, a senior researcher
and epidemiologist at the RMPRU, and colleagues.
The study found that between April 2010 and
October 2012, South African children under two
years old who were fully vaccinated against rotavirus
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Nov_Dec 2014|RESEARCH NEWS |9
were 57% less likely to be hospitalised for rotavirus
diarrhoea compared to unvaccinated children.
The University of the Witwatersrand and the National
Additionally, children who received just one dose of
rotavirus vaccine were still 40% less likely to be
hospitalised for rotavirus diarrhoea. The study also
showed
that
protection
from
severe
rotavirus
diarrhoea was sustained throughout the first two
years of life, and similar protection was found in both
HIV-exposed but uninfected children and HIVunexposed children. The vaccine was also found to
be effective against severe rotavirus diarrhoea
hospitalisations for a variety of rotavirus strains.
Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) released
important research information showing that rates of
invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) – including
cases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria – have
fallen substantially in South Africa following the
introduction of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
(PCV) in 2009. The study ‘Effects of vaccination on
invasive pneumococcal disease in South Africa’,
published in the prestigious New England Journal of
Medicine (NEJM), compares IPD incidence after the
introduction of PCV (post-introduction: 2011 and
2012) to incidence prior to its introduction (20052008), focusing on high-risk groups.
This study showed a significant decline in IPD in
children under two years of age: overall incidence of
Figure 1: Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation for
acute rotavirus-diarrhoea, stratified by age group and
rotavirus strain.
These results are encouraging and establish the
public health value of rotavirus vaccine in an African
setting,
especially
as
rotavirus
vaccines
are
introduced into an increasing number of African
countries. It is estimated that globally the lives of
over 200 000 children could be saved annually, were
rotavirus vaccine to be introduced in low-income
countries.
IPD declined by nearly 70% after PCV introduction,
and rates of IPD caused by bacteria specifically
targeted by the vaccine decreased by nearly 90%. In
addition, disease declined in unvaccinated adults,
which demonstrated the indirect protection conferred
by herd effects – the infants and children are no
longer carrying the bacteria to spread them to
unvaccinated
individuals.
The
study
also
demonstrated reductions in pneumococcal disease
cases caused by bacteria resistant to one or more
antibiotics. Lead author of this publication was Dr
Anne von Gottberg, a clinical microbiologist at the
Groome MJ, Page N, Cortese MM, Moyes J, Zar HJ,
Kapongo CN, et al. Effectiveness of monovalent human
rotavirus vaccine against admission to hospital for acute
rotavirus diarrhoea in South African children: a casecontrol study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2014; 14:1096-1104.
NICD and Associate Professor in the School of
Pathology at Wits. Although the majority of childhood
pneumococcal deaths occur in Africa, evidence of the
potential impact of pneumococcal vaccines in routine
use has largely been drawn from high-income
countries.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 10
Two further publications (see below) from the School
of Public Health at Wits and the NICD have
demonstrated PCVs to be effective in preventing
pneumococcal disease among South African children
in conditions of routine vaccine use. The first paper
generated estimates of pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine effectiveness in HIV-uninfected and -infected
children which is an important aspect of monitoring
vaccine performance in routine use. Dr Cheryl Cohen,
lead author of this paper, is a clinical epidemiologist
at the NICD and senior lecturer in the School of
Public Health at Wits. An additional paper by Dr
Claire von Mollendorf, a PhD student registered in
the School of Public Health at Wits, showed that HIVinfected
children
and
HIV-exposed-uninfected
children are at substantially increased risk of
pneumococcal disease. This is important as it
highlights the potential for this vaccine to reduce
health disparities in these vulnerable groups.
1. Von Gottberg A, de Gouveia L, Tempia S, Quan V,
Meiring S, von Mollendorf C, Madhi SA, Zell ER, Verani JR,
O'Brien KL, Whitney CG, Klugman KP, Cohen C. Effects of
vaccination on invasive pneumococcal disease in South
Africa. N Engl J Med 2014; 371:1889-99.
2. Cohen C, von Mollendorf C, de Gouveia L, Naidoo N,
Meiring S, Quan V, Nokeri V, Fortuin-de Smidt M, MalopeKgokong B, Moore D, Reubenson G, Moshe M, Madhi SA,
Eley B, Hallbauer U, Kularatne R, Conklin L, O'Brien KL, Zell
ER, Klugman K, Whitney CG, von Gottberg A. Effectiveness
of 7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Against
Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Children in South Africa: A Matched CaseControl Study. Clin Infect Dis 2014; 59:808-18.
3. Von Mollendorf C, Cohen C, de Gouveia L, Naidoo N,
Meiring S, Quan V, Lindani S, Moore D, Reubenson G,
Moshe M, Eley B, Hallbauer UM, Finlayson H, Madhi SA,
Conklin L, Zell ER, Klugman KP, Whitney CG, von Gottberg
A. Risk Factors for Invasive Pneumococcal Disease among
Children less Than 5 Years of Age in a High HIV-Prevalence
Setting, South Africa, 2010 to 2012. Pediatr Infect Dis J
2014.
Photograph (top to bottom): Dr Claire von Mollendorf, Dr
Anne von Gottberg and Dr Cheryl Cohen.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 11
Dr Christopher Ealand obtained
both
In October the University
of
the
Senate
House,
and
BSc
&
Physiology)
and his BSc Honours degree
(Microbiology) from the University
in
of
East
the
Witwatersrand.
He
subsequently left Johannesburg
Campus.
The
(Microbiology
Biotechnology
hosted the 6th CrossSymposium
undergraduate
degree
Witwatersrand
Graduate Support Division
Faculty
his
and completed his PhD at the
Faculty
of
University of Cape Town.
Health
Sciences Winners were:
Oral Presentation category: Sibusiso Senzani (pictured
with the Wits Vice Chancellor, Professor Adam Habib)
from the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical
TB Research, School of Pathology received the first
prize, the second prize was awarded to Anna Haw from
the School of Physiology and Tamzyn Baartman from
the School of Physiology was awarded third prize.
Poster Displays category: Zaahida Sheik Ismail from
the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB
Research, School of Pathology received the first prize.
Nicholas Bacci from the School of Anatomical Sciences
was awarded second prize and the third prize was
awarded to Mhlengi Magubane from the School of
marine
His
biotechnology-based
project focused on trying to characterise the disease
defence response of the red macro-algae Gracilaria
gracilis under the supervision of Associate Professor
Vernon Coyne in the Department of Molecular and Cell
Biology. Upon completion of his PhD, he returned to
Johannesburg where he joined the Centre of Excellence
for
Biomedical
Tuberculosis
Research
(CBTBR),
University of the Witwatersrand, under the mentorship of
Professor Bavesh Kana. Here he undertook a project on
the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the
causative agent of tuberculosis, which entails the
characterisation of enzymes capable of remodelling the
peptidoglycan layer in the bacterial cell wall. He aims to
Physiology.
study how these enzymes contribute to the complex
The Faculty was honoured to have one of its
setting. Ultimately, he envisages that his project will aid
nature of tuberculosis pathogenesis in the clinical
postgraduate students awarded the most prestigious
award of the entire Symposium. Well done to Sibusiso
Senzani who took joint first place for the Prestigious
Plenary
Cross-Faculty
Oral
Congratulations to all the winners!
presentation.
in
the
identification
tuberculosis.
of
novel
drug
targets
for
Aspects of Dr Ealand’s work have been
presented at several local conferences but, more
notably, at the international Keystone Symposia on
Tuberculosis. In November 2014, Dr. Ealand was
awarded the MRC career development award to
continue his research at the CBTBR.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 12
Dr
Carren
Postdoctoral
Ginsburg,
Fellow
a
at
the
MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and
Health Transitions Research Unit
(Agincourt) was also awarded a
MRC Career Development Award.
The award aims to build research
capacity
and
leadership
by
creating
new
positions
for
postdoctoral
scientists
with
potential to become established researchers. Dr
Ginsburg’s research is on migration, urbanization and
health in Agincourt and the INDEPTH Network.
Fellowship is a component of a joint research project
between Wits and the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Dr Adedini’s research interests are in the area of health
demography, including maternal and child health,
reproductive health and mortality studies. He works
under the mentorship of Professor Clifford Odimegwu,
the Head of the Demography and Population Studies
Programme.
An elated mentor, Professor Odimegwu reacted thus:
“The DPS Programme continues to prove that it is a
trail blazer despite all the challenges we face. Despite
being one of the smallest programmes in the University
with only two staff members, DPS is making history in
different aspects of the academic project. We are
showing that with good mentorship and myriads of
writing retreats, our students and graduates can do a
lot. I am proud of Sunday….and challenge those who
hold the levers of power in the University to give DPS
two more staff and we will paint this University red with
publications. I am grateful to Professors Jane Menken
of the University of Colorado and Steve Tollman of our
School of Public Health, who made this award possible,
and to Jill Williams of the University of Colorado for
facilitating the process of the award.
Dr
Sunday
Demography
Adedini,
and
a
Postdoctoral
Population
Fellow
Studies
in
(DPS)
Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social
Science, has produced an exceptional research output
in 2014. He has published eight papers in ISI
accredited journals and was the first author on four of
At the 10th Public Health Association of South Africa
(PHASA)
2014
congress,
a
registrar
from
the
Department of Community Health, School of Public
the papers.
Health presented her research. Dr Charlotte Makoma
Dr Adedini is not a stranger to Wits. He started his
award for her research entitled ‘A retrospective review
doctoral studies in 2011 and completed them in 2013.
of malaria cases and deaths reported in Gauteng, 2012’.
In recognition of his excellent performance, he was
Dr Mlangheni was supervised by Dr Julia Moorman and
awarded a Fogarty Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Professor Lucille Blumberg.
Mlangheni was awarded the Best Oral presentation
through Wits University. The Fogarty Postdoctoral
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 13
Dr Babalwa Dunga, also a registrar from the Department
was ‘Bridging the Divide’. Congratulations to Dr Farouk
of Community Health, School of Public Health, attended
Mamdoo, a Lecturer in the Division of Cardiology,
the Johannesburg Health District Research Conference
Department of Internal Medicine who was awarded the
2014. She presented her research entitled ‘Factors
Best Oral Presentation Award for his research entitled
associated with the first antenatal care booking in
‘New data for rheumatic mitral regurgitation by 3D
Johannesburg, 2013’. She received the Best Oral
echocardiology in Sub-Saharan- insights for surgical
presentation award for her presentation. Dr Dunga was
repair?’
under the supervision of Dr Debashis Basu.
Congratulations too, to Dr Keir McKutchen, Dr Kim
A third registrar from the Department of Community
Lamont and Dr Ruchika Meel who presented their
Health, School of Public Health, Dr Carmen Whyte
research and were awarded Best Poster Presentation
attended
the
14
th
Annual
Ekurhuleni
Research
Awards. Their research was entitled ‘The DEBB (Drug-
Conference. Her research on ‘Implementation of the
Eluting Balloon in Bifurcations) Study’, ‘Low systolic
ward based primary health care outreach teams in the
blood pressure and high resting heart rate as
Ekurhuleni Health district: process evaluation’ won the
predictors of outcome in patients with Peripartum
Best Oral presentation award. She was supervised by Dr
Cardiomyopathy’ and ‘Assessment of left atrial and left
Mary Kawonga and Dr Leena Thomas.
ventricular
In addition to all the prizes the registrars have won at
function
in chronic rheumatic mitral
regurgitation by strain imaging’ respectively.
the various conferences, three senior registrars were
awarded their MMed research reports with distinction.
Dr Heinrich Volmink was awarded his MMed for his
research entitled ‘Occupational stress in a South African
Workforce: Instrument Testing, Prevalence Measurement
and Risk Factor Analysis’. Dr Odette Abrahams research
project was entitled ‘Occupations and breast cancer in
women treated at a tertiary hospital in Johannesburg’.
Dr Pieter de Jager received his MMed degree for his
research work entitled ‘An outbreak of New Delhi
metallo-beta-lactamase-1
(NDM-1)
producing
Enterobacteriaceae in a South African hospital: a casecontrol study’.
Congratulations
to
all
the
registrars
for
Professors Lesley Scott, Wendy Stevens and their
team won an award at the Gauteng Accelerator
Programme (GAP) Innovation Competition for 2014, in
the Bioscience category. The award was made for their
‘SmartSpot’ business plan. They were awarded R500K
in seed funding to be used by the business over the
next year. They also have incubation support at the
Innovation Hub for a year.
their
outstanding achievements!
The 15th Annual SA Heart Congress 2014 was held in
Durban in October 2014. The theme of the congress
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 14
attended the conference. The information presented is
always cutting edge, resulting in conferences which
serve as a forum and touchstone for the world’s leaders
in mesothelioma to contribute toward the shared goal of
Dr Heleen Hanekom from the
Department
attended
of
the
Oceanian
Radiology
15
th
Asian
Congress
of
Radiology (AOCR) hosted by
the Japan Radiological Society
in conjunction with the 50th
Autumn
Assembly
of
Japan
Radiological Society. The theme
of the conference was “Borderless Alliance- Education
and Friendship” with a focus on education for young
and training radiologists. This theme was evident
throughout the congress with numerous educational
lectures specifically aimed at registrars focusing on
emergency radiology and general approaches to
different imaging techniques. Heleen presented her
poster entitled ‘Computerised Tomography Findings of
Lymphobronchial
Tuberculosis
in
Children:
a
Comparison between Infants and Older Children.’
from the AOCR. She was the only recipient of the
scholarship from the African continent. The scholarship
was established to encourage and support young
professionals under the age of 40 to attend the AOCR
This
is
a
wonderful
increasingly environmental disease.
IMIG currently boasts a governing board of scientists
from the USA, UK, Netherlands, France, Australia, Egypt,
Japan, Switzerland, South Africa and Finland. South
African Board member, Dr Jim Te Water Naude, served
as this year’s conference chairperson. The South African
Mesothelioma Interest Group (SAMIG) won the bid to
host IMIG2014 in Cape Town, with other redoubtable
contenders being Paris, Vancouver, Washington DC and
Honolulu.
IMIG2014 was special for a number of reasons including
it being held exactly 50 years after the 1964 Selikoff
conference in New York, which was the first global
meeting of scientists on asbestos and involved Dr Chris
Wagner, whose work conclusively determined the
asbestos-mesothelioma link. This was
achievement.
Congratulations Heleen!
IMIG has held a conference in Africa and the conference
which activists from around the world shared the work
they perform to help those suffering from asbestosrelated diseases, and the campaigns they run to end the
use of asbestos.
Despite being a long-haul destination for most, close to
300 delegates attended the conference. There were
about 160 oral presentations, 30 poster discussions,
and 150 posters.
South Africa was honoured and privileged to host the
International
Mesothelioma
the first time
included a social advocacy session and exhibit tables in
Heleen received the "Young Investigator Scholarship"
2014.
ending this deadly and preventable occupational and
Interest
Group
(IMIG)
biennial conference in Cape Town from 21-24 October
2014. Professor Jill Murray, Professor Gill Nelson and
Mrs Ntombizodwa Ndlovu from School of Public Health
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 15
partnerships. The conference aimed to nurture/mentor
young researchers, foster collaborations between
On the 30th October, the Health Sciences Research
Office hosted the Carnegie Fellows Symposium. The
symposium was held at the Department of Cardiology,
Universities, to expose researchers to emerging
research areas in spatial statistics and its applications
and to improve quality of teaching and research.
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. The
attendees were honoured to have the DVC: Research,
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, deliver the opening address.
The symposium provided the Carnegie Fellows with an
opportunity to present and highlight their research.
The following Fellows presented their research: Dr
Martin Brand, Dr Kapila Hari, Dr Susan Williams, Dr
Glendah Kalunga, Dr Nirthi Maharaj, Dr Ziyaad Dangor
and Dr Nimmisha Govind. The symposium was very
well attended.
Photograph (left to right): One of the participants from
Namibia, Mr Owen Mtambo with Professor Tobias Chirwa;
Ms Busi Mdhletse, Wits School of Public Health Course Admin
and Exams Officer giving a token of appreciation to the
keynote speaker Professor Andrew Lawson (Professor of
Biostatistics in the Division of Biostatistics, Department of
Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Medical
University of South Carolina (MUSC)
Nearly 1,400 researchers, advocates, policy-makers
and journalists gathered in Cape Town in October for
The Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the
School of Public Health hosted the first Sub-Saharan
African conference on spatial and spatiotemporal
statistics. The theme of the conference was nurturing
the future generation of spatial epidemiologists and
statisticians in Africa. The inaugural conference aimed
to bridge the gap of data availability and lack of
suitable expertise to process it. It allowed an
opportunity to different role players to promote and
HIV Research for Prevention (HIV R4P)—the first
conference to bring together the different fields of
biomedical
prevention
research
in
one
forum.
Professor Helen Rees, Executive Director of Wits RHI,
was a conference co-chair.
As our understanding of the HIV epidemic deepens, the
need to expand the range of effective prevention
options becomes more apparent, to accommodate
diverse prevention needs and contexts.
explore new collaborations and to solidify existing
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 16
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, speaking at the opening
ceremony via video link, said, “No single method of
prevention can end this epidemic on its own.”
Professor Rees, in her opening address, explained the
importance of breaking down walls between vertical
conferences covering specific biomedical prevention
options such as microbicides and vaccines.
She said, “There are commonalities. There are issues
which HIV vaccine basic scientists might be looking at
which may also be very important for microbicide or
pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) scientists too, and
vice versa.”
anniversary
To commemorate 20 proud years working towards
better health outcomes in the field of sexual and
reproductive health, the Wits Reproductive & HIV
Institute (RHI) held an open symposium on the
evening of the 13th of November at the Wits Great Hall.
A number of prestigious guests gathered to debate
HIV R4P also examined the challenges of adherence to
study drugs and ways to modify trial design to
accelerate
Wits RHI hosts a symposium to celebrate its 20-year
the
research
process,
as
well
as
mechanisms that link socio-behavioural research to
basic science.
issues around resource allocation in South Africa,
including RHI Executive Director Professor Helen Rees
and Wits Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib;
Professor Karen Hofman, Director of PRICELESS SA;
public health specialist Dr Neil Cameron; RHI Deputy
Executive Director Professor Francois Venter; and
By holding one conference on biomedical prevention
Professor Martin Veller, Dean of the Faculty of Health
research for HIV, “we were able to look at these
Sciences at Wits. A special guest from the National
commonalities
Department of Health, Deputy Director-General Dr
together
while
not
losing
the
uniqueness of these specific fields,” said Professor
Rees.
Yogan Pillay, was also part of the panel.
The symposium proved to be a fascinating and
thought-provoking discussion. Professor Rees opened
with a brief history of South Africa’s public health
challenges and responses from 1994 through to the
present, and also gave the audience some insight into
RHI’s beginnings as a small Wits research unit, the
Reproductive Health Research Unit, and its progress
through the years. Dr Neil Cameron then took the
audience on a journey to rural Madwaleni in the
Eastern Cape, and described some of the challenges in
making sure that all South Africans have access to lifesaving vaccinations. He pointed out that immunisation
Photograph: Professor Rees welcomes Mpho Tutu, daughter
of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, on the inauguration of the
Desmond Tutu Award for HIV Prevention and Human Rights
is a critical component in a functioning health system,
a topic then picked up by Professor Karen Hoffman.
Her talk explored how public health campaigns such as
vaccinations could be made as cost-effective as
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 17
possible, given that South Africa has a constrained
budget and a number of pressing health concerns.
When deciding how to spend money, the choice of
public health interventions must be based on solid
evidence. Professor Francois Venter’s dissection of the
lack of evidence behind some of our most common
perceptions about health was both surprising and
entertaining, but ultimately provided a great deal of
food for thought. Professor Adam Habib’s comments
highlighted how important it is for public policy to
serve those who need it most, and called for greater
accountability from not only the state, but also the
private sector. Dr Yogan Pillay spoke on behalf of the
Department of Health and the Minister of Health, Dr
Aaron Motsoaledi, on how health systems need to be
strengthened to achieve public health goals and meet
the needs of the underprivileged. Professor Martin
Veller closed the symposium by thanking the speakers,
and by thanking Wits RHI for its remarkable academic
output. The evening was rounded off with a cocktail
Tuesday, 2nd December 2014 saw Professor Mervyn
Mer (Principal Specialist in the Division of Critical Care
and Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine,
Wits) and Professor Jeffrey Lipman, a Wits Alumnus
(Director of the Department of Intensive Care Medicine,
Royal Brisbane and Womens’ Hospital, Professor and
Head of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, University
of Queensland) present the eleventh lecture in the
Prestigious Research Lecture series. The lecture was
entitled ‘Beyond Superbugs: Critical lessons in life and
medicine from Africa to the first world!’
“Emphasis should be on maximizing efficiency and
minimizing toxicity”, said Professor Jeffrey Lipman.
Addressing the audience Professor Lipman summarized
a career in the relatively ‘young’ discipline of critical
reception.
care, commencing with his establishment of the first
RHI would like to thank all those who contributed
later heading up the ICU at Baragwanath Hospital. In
towards the evening’s success, including the guest
speakers, the organisers, and all those who attended.
We look forward to what the next 20 years will bring!
intensive care unit (ICU) at JG Strijdom Hospital, and
his nearly forty years of research into the critically ill,
Lipman’s focus has been on determining adequate
dosing in critical care patients, whose response to
drugs is not typical of drug trials performed on
relatively ‘healthy’ and non-critical test subjects.
Lipman cited differences in volumes of distribution as
well as augmented renal clearance as key factors in
drug inefficiency in current ‘standard’ approaches to
dosing. “One size does not fit all”, he iterated, alluding
to the fact that current dosing guidelines do not make
adjustments for factors such as weight, which might
well impact drug efficacy. In South Africa, there are
significant
implications
particularly
when
for
considering
Lipman’s
the
research,
treatment
of
critically ill TB patients and the rise of multi-drug
resistant strains of TB.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 18
Professor Mer presented on the human aspect and the
To
local burden of these deadly diseases. He showed how
Professor Charles Feldman (Professor of Pulmonology,
famous individuals who have been diagnosed with TB
Chief Physician, Director of the Pulmonology Infection
have responded to having the disease. ‘One person
Research Unit and the Head of the Division of
dies from TB every 20 seconds globally and one in 100
Pulmonology at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg
South Africans has TB’, said Professor Mer. “We may
Academic
well not be treating TB patients adequately”, said
Witwatersrand) gave an insightful commentary.
Professor Mervyn Mer, speaking alongside Professor
Lipman at the Prestigious Lecture. He discussed the
various clinical findings that critically ill individuals
with TB can present with. He also emphasized that
doctors can do better- they can improve TB treatment.
The take home message from Professor Mer’s talk was
summarized by the legendary Mandela’s words ‘It is in
end off the two outstanding presentations,
Hospital
and
the
University
of
the
Professor Lipman visited Wits in December as part of
the
Carnegie-Wits
Alumni
Diaspora
Programme.
Initiated by the Health Sciences Research Office, the
programme ‘brings home’ research active health
sciences
alumni,
to
establish
ongoing
collaborations with their alma mater.
your hands to make a difference, to make this world a
better place’.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
research
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 19
Who are you and what is your academic/scientific training and background?
I am a medical doctor, class of 1987 (Wits). I have done postgraduate studies
in sports science, sports medicine, emergency medicine, aviation medicine and
submarine / diving medicine. I was awarded a travelling Fellowship with the
International Sports Medicine Federation and am a professional Fellow of that
Federation. I am a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. I
received an exceptional service award from the South African Sports Medicine
Association, which also awarded me lifetime membership. I have received
awards and recognition for contribution to a number of sports and events
including athletics, Paralympics, Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup 2010. I
received a Faculty of Health Sciences research award in 2010.
Explain the nature of the research that you are currently undertaking.
I have a broad interest in sport and the role of exercise in chronic disease.
Currently I am looking at a number of aspects of drugs in sport; including the
use amongst university student-athletes and prevention strategies; androgen
profiles in urine and the effect of a number of substances in performance
enhancement. I am interested in risk factors for sudden cardiac arrest amongst
young athletes. I am gathering data on exercise and cardiac disease
management and about to start research with organ transplant patients.
What do you think is the most pertinent/relevant/significant contribution you
have made to research/science/your field?
I would consider that the most pertinent contribution is not in a specific
research area, but in having created an environment of research in this field at
Wits. We are starting to see the blossoming of the seeds that have been planted
in the Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine with a significant growth
of research in this field over the last few years. My scientifically relevant
research I believe is what I am currently embarking on in the field of
methylphenidate and human performance.
Did you have a particular mentor or supervisor who inspired you in research?
There are in fact many, many people that have inspired me from different
perspectives. From my mother (who was a teacher) who has always had an
astute, critical, and inquiring mind; high school teachers who made me think for
myself, to the rich environment of my medical training with the privilege of
having been taught by the likes of Professors Tobias, Allen, Myburgh, Barlow,
Schamroth, Mitchell, Veriava and many many more that I wish I could name
here. I must mention that I have been fortunate in having been mentored and
inspired by Tim Noakes, Michael Lambert and Alan Rothberg.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
N o v _ D e c 2 0 1 4 | R E S E A R C H N E W S | 20
Tell us about what you do when you're not busy at work and carrying out cutting-edge research.
I love spending time with my kids, even though they are no longer little. I like playing with Dynamite, Alaska and
Oscar (my three Chows) and discussing the daily news with Flash (my Parrot fish). I love listening to rock music and
reading esoteric books
Read one of Demitri’s papers: Gradidge P. J-L, Constantinou D and Goldberg L. Risk of sudden cardiac arrest in
young athletes. The South African Journal of Sports Medicine 2013; 25(2):53-54.
Thank you to all who contributed to this issue.
Do you have any significant research news you would like us to include, or
comments you would like to make? Please contact
[email protected] (news items to reach us by 14 January 2015)
The newsletter is edited by Professor Bev Kramer, Professor Andrea Fuller,
Suretha Erasmus and Nomfundo Sibiya.
WITS | HEALTH SCIENCES
Wits Health Sciences
Research News