Group leader/head
Sîan Hemmings is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She heads the Neuropsychiatric Genetics research group. She obtained her MSc and PhD from Stellenbosch University, and has been involved in psychiatric research for the past 15 years. Her research interests include investigating the molecular aetiology of PTSD and stress-related disorders, by conducting genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic and microbiomic studies. She also works on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
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Laboratory Manager
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Kayleigh Filton is the Laboratory Manager for the Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group. She is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Neuropsychiatric Genetics laboratory.
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Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Nto Johnson Nto obtained his PhD (Anatomy) in 2021. He is currently researching the role of the gut microbiome in PTSD, depression, and anxiety within South African populations.
Matsepo Ramaboli obtained her PhD (Chemistry) from the University of South Carolina. She is currently investigating the role of the gut microbiome in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders within South African populations.
PhD students
Morne Du Plessis is a PhD student using polygenic risk score- and machine learning-based modelling approaches to identify the optimal method through which to predict PTSD status in a South African population.
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Aqeedah Roomaney is a PhD student investigating epigenetic profiles relating to neuropsychological function, depression, and structural brain volumes in the context of HIV and childhood trauma.
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Lauren Martin is a PhD student investigating biological influences (particularly the maternal vaginal bacteriome, infant gut microbiome, and maternal and infant DNA methylation profiles) shaping the neurodevelopmental trajectories of infants in cohorts from the Western Cape of South Africa.
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Kabelo Maloka is a PhD student investigating biological aging profiles of neurocognitive function and depression in South African women with HIV and variable exposure to childhood trauma.
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MSc students
Robert Glennon is an MSc student whose research investigates the role of the gut microbiome, host genetic factors and the interplay of the two in the risk and development of PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder in a South African population group.
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Dineo Madikgetla is an MSc student investigating the role of the gut microbiome in Long COVID and its association with psychiatric symptoms, aiming to elucidate the complex interplay between SARS-Cov-2, the gut microbiome, and psychiatric symptoms in Long COVID patients.
Connor Nell is a MSc student researching the role of the gut microbiome in the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders within a South African population. His work also aims to elucidate the relationship between the gut microbiome and host genetic factors associated with these disorders.
Caitlin
Grace Short is an MSc student investigating Neurobiological Trajectories of Cognitive Aging, specifically looking at significant association between estimated brain age and cognitive function, which is moderated by specific genetic variants.
BScHons Student
Sibabalo Matwele is a BSc Honours student in the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics. His research aims at understanding the role of maternal-infant genotype interactions in the development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder symptomatology within the South African context.
Past Students
Carlien Rust obtained her PhD (Psychiatry) in 2025. She investigated the blood and gut microbiome in PTSD, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Carlien aimed to develop a pipeline to investigate the human blood microbiome using RNA-seq data and correlate the blood microbiome composition with that of the gut microbiome as well as with inflammatory cytokine data.
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Fatima Chiloane was a BSc Honours student in Molecular Biology and Human Genetics whose research
investigated the host genetic microbiome in common mental disorders in
South Africa.
Claire Kelly was a BSc Honours student in Molecular Biology and Human Genetics who investigated the role of maternal-infant genotype interactions in the
development of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder symptomatology.
Leandré van Rooyen was an MSc student whose research examined genomic and microbiome
factors in the susceptibility to Long COVID with a focus on
neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Catherine Lohrentz was
an MSc student whose research investigated virtual reality as a tool
for physiological bio-marker exploration in post-traumatic stress
disorder in a South African population, with a focus on
FKBP5 methylation.
Natasha Kitchin obtained her PhD (Psychiatry) in 2024. Her research investigated the role that the maternal and infant gut microbiome, and the maternal vaginal microbiome, played in Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
Michaela O’Hare was an MSc student whose research investigated the gut microbial composition of individuals with self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD compared to matched healthy controls.
Lianna Kapp was an MSc student whose research investigated the associations between PACAP plasma levels and methylation in relation to PTSD symptom scores over 12 months.
Daniélle Jansen van Rensburg was an MSc student whose research investigated the association between microRNAs in blood and anxiety proneness in a cohort of South African adolescents with exposure to childhood trauma.
Thomas Rust was an MSc student whose research examined the influence of childhood trauma and epigenetic variation in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene on anxiety proneness and structural and functional neuroimaging measures.
Leah Chifamba was an MSc student whose research examined the influence of childhood trauma and epigenetic variation in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on anxiety sensitivity.
Philippa Taitz was a BSc Honours student whose research investigated the influence of maternal DNA methylation markers on the development of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
Rachel Ince was a BSc Honours student who was researching the genetic contributions to anxiety sensitivity in the context of childhood trauma.
Allegra Moodley was an MSc student investigating pro-inflammatory cytokines as markers of inflammation in PTSD, Parkinson’s disease and Schizophrenia patients.
Sylvanus Toikumo obtained his PhD (Psychiatry) in 2020. His research focused on identifying shared epigenetic markers associated with the development of PTSD and metabolic syndrome.
Allan Kalungi was a Ph.D. student jointly registered at Stellenbosch University and Makerere University in Uganda. He obtained his PhD (Psychiatry) in 2020. His research focused on investigating the association between acute stress and internalising mental disorders and factors that mediate this relationship, among HIV+ children and adolescents in Uganda.
Chané Bain obtained her MSc (Human Genetics) in 2020. Her research investigated Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), focusing on mothers of the Robertson and Wellington area with hazardous drinking.
Stefanie Malan-Müller obtained her PhD (Psychiatry) from Stellenbosch University in 2014. Her research investigated the gut microbiome profiles of PTSD patients to gain insight into how these microbes affect mental health and behaviour.
Khethelo Xulu obtained his PhD (Psychiatry) in 2018. His research focused on the molecular aetiology of PTSD and aggressive behaviour, investigating DNA methylation amongst young former offenders from Cape Town townships.
On the 15th of April 2023, members of the SU Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group participated in the Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) Open Day on SU Tygerberg Campus by interacting with the public through science-themed games and sharing information on our current research projects.
On the 14th of February 2023, the SU Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group moved to a brand-new laboratory facility located within the BMRI, overlooking the Tygerberg Hospital.
On the 16th and 17th of September 2022, members of the SU Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group presented their research at the 2022 Biological Psychiatry Congress at the Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa.
The SA Medical Research Council piloted the Generation S (Gen S) Job Shadow Programme that took place in June and October 2022, in which the SU Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group assisted in exposing Grade 10 and 11 learners to various laboratory experiments. The aim of the initiative was to provide high school learners with opportunities to gain insight into the work undertaken by the MRC and affiliated organisations.
On the 3rd of June 2022, the SU Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group posted pictures of their colourful socks on their Instagram page (@suneuropsychgen) in support of the annual Crazysocks4docs campaign, to raise awareness regarding the mental health of health professionals.
