Wits Department of Physiology

28/09/2026

Congrats to Karine and Joshua on their latest publication

Electricity loadshedding (planned power outages) has known impacts on the economy and people’s everyday lives. Loadshedding removes control over lighting and room temperature, and backup generator use increases noise pollution, all of which may disrupt sleep. University students, already prone to ...

18/09/2026

18/09/2026

Congratulations to Tanja Oosthuyse, honorary researcher in the department, on contributing, with a leading team of international experts, to the newly released UCI Position Statement on Nutrition for Cycling. It’s basically the bible on what to eat and drink before, during and after any kind of cycling.

https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2026-0135

16/09/2026

From research and academia to biotechnology, public health, diagnostics, and industry, "A Day With Scientists Over Coffee" highlighted the diverse and exciting career opportunities available in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

The event brought together students and professionals for meaningful one-on-one conversations, mentorship, and networking opportunities. It reflected the mission of the non-profit organisation, Shadow A Scientist, to create accessible opportunities, foster meaningful connections, and inspire the next generation of scientists.

Follow Shadow A Scientist and stay connected:
📸 Instagram:
💼 LinkedIn: Shadow A Scientist
🌐 Website: shadowascientist.org
🚀 Skillify: skillify.shadowascientist.org
🎵 TikTok: ShadowAScientist-SAS



Pictured: Dr Ashmeetha Manilall and Aashna Beepan, one of the postgraduate student attendees.

10/09/2026

Exciting News from the Department of Physiology and the Nutrition and Metabolism Research Theme!

We are proud to announce the acquisition of a Rotary Evaporator System from United Scientific, a valuable addition to our research infrastructure.

This advanced system will significantly enhance the extraction methodologies currently employed in our laboratory, improving efficiency, precision, and the quality of our research outputs. The acquisition strengthens our capacity to undertake innovative research in physiology, nutrition, and metabolism.

We sincerely appreciate our partnership with United Scientific and their support in helping us advance research excellence. We look forward to the new opportunities this technology will create for our students, researchers, and collaborators.

07/09/2026

The Department of Physiology is pleased to announce a six-month CytoFLEX S flow cytometer placement made possible through a collaboration with Beckman Coulter.

The placement provides the Department with access to advanced analytical instrumentation, strengthening our research infrastructure and creating new opportunities for research, postgraduate training, and technical skills development.

Access to this technology will enable researchers and postgraduate students to develop hands-on expertise in its application, while expanding the Department’s capacity to undertake high-quality research across relevant areas of physiology and biomedical science.

Importantly, the placement demonstrates the value of industry–academic partnerships in strengthening the research ecosystem within the University. Collaboration with industry provides opportunities for knowledge exchange, technology transfer, skills development, and the establishment of future collaborative research initiatives.

We thank Beckman Coulter for supporting this initiative and for investing in the development of research capacity within the Department. We look forward to building on this collaboration and exploring further opportunities that contribute to research excellence, postgraduate education, and innovation at the University.

Picture: Dr Zibusiso Mkandla with the CytoFLEX S flow cytometer.

04/09/2026

Congrats to Peter and collaborators on their latest publication

Background Intrathecal morphine is recommended for post-caesarean analgesia, but its implementation remains inconsistent in resource-constrained obstetric services, where short-acting intrathecal fentanyl is often favoured instead because of familiarity and perceived simplicity of use. We compared t...

01/09/2026

Congrats to Andrea, Shane and collaborators on their latest publication

Abstract. The early days of animal tagging and tracking using electronic tags were largely restricted to biologists who were electronics hobbyists capable

28/08/2026

Join us in congratulating Andrea Kolkenbeck-Ruh on being awarded the Helen Laburn Research Prize in the Early Career Researcher Category for 2025.

This award recognises Andrea's outstanding contributions to research within the Department of Physiology.

Pictured here, Prof Janette Bester, Head of Department, presented the certificate to Andrea.