Division of Medical Physiology
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MSc Students
Class of 2025
Sesethu KETSE
Email: sketse@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Microbiology and Physiology) and BSc Honours (Molecular Biology)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA) and Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: DNA methylation profiling for breast cancer diagnosis in South African women
Supervisor(s): Dr Tarryn Willmer (SAMRC) and co-supervisors Dr Lawrence Mabasa (SAMRC) and Prof. Hans Strijdom
Email: 26748215@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BHSc (Biomedical Sciences) and BHSc Honours (Human Physiology - Cum Laude)
Research group: Neuroscience Research Group
Project title: The role of galanin on maternal behaviours in a female rat sexual defeat model
Supervisor(s): Dr Lihle Qulu and co-supervisor Dr Thando Shabangu
Jasmine ANDREWS
Email: 26746328@sun.za
Qualifications: BSc (Medical Bioscience) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Investigating the links between Chronic stress and autophagy in female Wistar rats
Supervisor(s): Prof, Faadiel Essop and co-supervisor Miss Megan Cairns
Amy PRETORIUS
Email: 22201831@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Medical Bioscience) and Honours (Medical Physio
logy)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Comparing the Effectiveness of Imatinib and Melatonin Against Endothelin-1-Induced Proliferation of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
Supervisor(s): Dr Gerald Maarman
Stephen SOUTHWAY
Email: 21214328@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences) and Honours (Medical Physiology)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Evaluating the biphasic effect of metformin in a 3-D cardiomyoblast model of insulin resistance
Supervisor(s): Dr Marguerite Blignaut
Anique WOLMARANS
Email: 21785716@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Biochemistry and Physiology) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA) and the Neuroscience Research Group
Project title: Physiological effect of Cannabis and Psilocybin on the brain
Supervisor(s): Prof. Barbara Huisamen and co-supervisor Dr. Lihle Qulu
Chrisstoffel JUMAAR
Email: 27421309@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Medical Laboratory Science-Distinction)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Investigating the usefulness of a novel plasma 5-marker host biosignature to identify pulmonary hypertension in a post-tuberculosis context in a South African cohort
Supervisor(s): Dr Gerald Maarman
Garth WENTLEY
Email: 21670951@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology)
oup: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Delineating the novel effects of melatonin in differentiated C2C12 myotubes in the presence and absence of pat
hology
Supervisor(s): Dr Gerald Maarman
Nokulunga MLABA
Email: 24542415@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Microbiology and Biochemistry) and BSc Honours (Medical Microbiology)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project Title: Establishment and characterization of novel AC16 human ventricular spheroid model
Supervisor(s): Dr Marguerite Blignaut and Dr Nireshni Chellan
Lindiwe MALEFANE
Email: 27583708@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology - Cum Laude)
group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CAMA)
Project title: Investigating the effects of Rooibos-enriched, Mitochondrial-targeted
Chitosan-alginate Nanoparticles in an MCF-7 breast cancer cell line
Supervisor(s): Dr Gerald Maarman and Prof. Admire Dube
Sharnah UYS
Email: 23947829@sunac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences with Psychology) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology-Cum Laude)
Research group: Stellenbosch University Reproductive Research Group (SURRG)
Project title: Investigating the impact of obesity on the
characteristics of testicular extracellular vesicles and their function
in spermatogenesis
Supervisor(s): Dr Bongekile Skosana and co-supervisor Prof. Marais
Anathi BURNS
Email: 24034304@sunac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Psychology) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
roject title: Maternal micronutrients supplementation and DNA methylation regulation of mammary developmental genes in breast cancer
Superviosr(s): Dr Lawrence Mbasa (SAMRC)
Tamryne BRINK
Email: 22555838@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc(Biological Sciences), BSc Honours (Medical Physiology- Cum Laude)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Investigating the effects of olanzapine on redox
status and vascular function in male and female Wistar rats fed a high
sucrose medium fat (HSMF) diet.
Supervisor(s): Dr Shantal. Windvogel, Dr Hanel Sadie- Van Gijsen and Prof. Erna Marais
Natasha MARNEWICK
Email: 21617619@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences with Psychology-Cum Laude) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology-Cum Laude)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Comparing the effects of the second-generation anti-psychotic drug olanzapine on adipose stem cell function between male and female Wistar rats against the backgrund of high sugar feeding
Supervisor(s): Dr Hanel Sadie- Van Gijsen and co-supervisor Dr Gerald Maarman
Suné GROVE
Email: 23627786@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences) and BSc Honours (Clinical Anatomy-Cum Laude)
Research group: Stellenbosch University Reproductive Research Group (SURRG)
Project title: Investigating the effects of Olanzapine on the reproductive system of male and femal rat models fed a high-sugar diet.
Supervisor(s): Dr Bongekile Skosana and co-supervisor Dr Hanel Sadie- Van Gijsen
Tamera MOODLEY
Email: 21675600@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences with Psychology) and BSc Honours (Clinical Pharmacology)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: Proteomic assessment of trace amine metabolism dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder
Supervisor(s): Prof. Carine Smith and co-supervisors Dr Lesha Pretorius and Dr Gerald Maarman
Jeffrey PIETERSE
Email: jjp1@sun.aza
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences with Psychology) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: High throughput identification and localization of mitochondrial events
using deep learning in an in vitro cardiomyoblast model.
Supervisor(s): Dr Marguerite Blignaut and co-supervisor Dr Theart
Jeanne DU PLESSIS
Email: 22555838@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Human physiology, Genetics and Psychology), BSc Honours (Medical physiology - Cum Laude)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (C
ARMA)
Project title: Validation of an AC16 cardiac ventricular model for drug discovery in an obesogenic environment.
Supervisor(s): Dr Marguerite Blignaut and Prof. Faadiel Essop
Pebetsi KGOLE
Email: 20022425@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc Genetics and Physiology, BSc Honours molecular biology and human genetics
Research group: Experimental medicine
Project title: Diabetes induced mitochondrial dysfunction in adipose tissue derived stromal cells
Supervisor(s): Prof Mari van de Vyver
Angela LATAKGOMO
Email: 24696161@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: Bsc (Molecular and Life Sciences), Bsc Honours (Physiology)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: Elucidating Intestinal Lysosomal Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Supervisor(s): Prof. Carine Smith, L Pretorius and J Coetzee
Vishalini PILLAY
Email: vtpillay@sun.aza
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Sciences with Psychology) and BSc Honours (Medical Physiology)
Research group: Stellenbosch University Reproductive Research Group (SURRG)
Project title: Clinical significance of the infiltration of leukocytes into seminal plasma and the downstream effects on sperm cells
Supervisor(s): Dr Bongekile Skosana and Prof. Lenine Liebenberg
Bontle MAMPHEKO
Email: 28516540@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: Bsc (Molecular and Life Sciences), Bsc Honours (Physiology)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: Autism Spectrum Disorder: Adipose tissue signalling dysregulation as a source of comorbidity risk
Supervisor(s): Prof. Carine Smith and Dr Kelly Ross
Khomotso Klaas MATHABATHA
Email: 28334531@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: Bsc (Medical Sciences), Bsc Honours (Medical Sciences)
Research group: Stellenbosch University Reproductive Research Group (SURRG)
Project title: Investigating the relationship between semen leukocyte populations and sperm quality
Supervisor(s): Dr Bongekile Skosana and Dr Lenine Liebenberg
Email: 123565225@sun.aza
Qualifications: BSc (Human Life Science), BSc Honours (Medical Physiology-Cum Laude)
Research group: Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA)
Project title: Investigating the effects of chronic stress on microvascular dysfunction in a zebrafish model.
Supervisor(s): Prof. Faadiel Essop, Prof Carine Smith, Dr Megan Cairns
Sade Mthunasi BENDANE
Email:24717681 @sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Molecular and Life sciences), BSc Honours ( Physiology)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): confirming lupus-like immune signalling in an adult zebrafish phenotypic model.
Supervisor(s): Prof Carine Smith and Dr Tracey Ollewagen
Prudence Tlhologelo RAKGWALE
Email: 23923857@sun.aza
Qualifications: Bsc (Molecular and life sciences), BSc Honours (Aquaculture- cum laude), BSc Hons (Physiology- cum laude)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: Assessing the preventative potential of grape seed polyphenols (oxiprovin) in neurodegeneration
Supervisor(s): Dr Kelly Ross, Prof. Carine Smith
Caroline TSIMA
Email: 29859956@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Life sciences)and and BSc Honours (Molecular and life sciences)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: Autism Spectrum Disorder: Adipose tissue signalling dysregulation as a source of comorbidity risk
Supervisor(s): Prof. Carine Smith and Dr Kelly Ross
Paxton Deseree BARNARD
Email: 24717681@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: Bsc (Human Life Sciences), Bsc Honours (Medical Physiology-Cum Laude)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: Preclinical evaluation of molecular hydrogen as a cardioprotectant in anthracycline-treated cardiomyoblasts
Supervisor(s): Prof.Rabia Johnson, Dr N.Sangweni and Dr MargueriteBlignaut
Mpho MOKOAPE
Email: 25973924@sun.ac.za
Qualifications: BSc (Microbiology and Biochemistry) and BSc Honours (Molecular Biochemistry)
Research group: Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP)
Project title: The effect of diet composition on the intestinal barrier in models of metabolic disease development
Supervisor(s): Dr Sylvia Riedel (SAMRC) and co-supervisor Dr Hanél Sadie-van Gijsen
