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Health Sciences
Division, while some have certain components or personnel
falling within the Division, affiliated to other Institutes or
Departmental groupings.
Specifically: The Division incorporates the MRC/UCT
Research Group for Receptor Biology (co-directed by
Associate Professor Arieh Katz and Dr Colleeen Flanagan,
ex-UCT now at WITS, and Professor Bob Millar, Senior
Scholar in our Division); the UCT Structural Biology Research
Group (directed by Professor Trevor Sewell); members of
the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
(IIDMM) at UCT (Profs Sturrock, Blackburn, Meissner, Parker,
Katz and Leaner); and the International Centre for Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) (Professor Iqbal
Parker).
Through 2012 there were 53 research postgraduate students
registered for either Master’s or PhD (57 in 2011), and a
further 11 Honours students were based wholly in Medical
Biochemistry for the duration of their research projects
(April – November) (6 in 2011). The Division graduated 4
PhD and 2 MSc students during the course of 2012 (6 PhD
and 3 MSc during 2011). Together with various scientific
and academic staff our postgraduate students and 20
postdoctoral fellows (18 in 2011) continued to form the
basis of a vibrant and on-going research thrust and culture
in the Division, forming the core of our Divisional research
strategy – out of which flows a contemporary and effective
approach to teaching at both under- and postgraduate
levels. During 2012 the Division and its’ affiliates published
56 papers in ISI accredited science journals and and 2 book
chapters. Research activities of the Division cover seven
major areas:
1. GnRH receptors, signalling, structure – function and as
a target for development of therapeutics for treatment
of reproductive cancers (Katz & Millar labs);
2. Molecular mechanisms of cervical cancer and
oesophageal cancer development and progression
(Leaner, Hendricks and Parker labs)
3. Identification and characterisation of anticancer drugs
in natural products (Hendricks lab);
4. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) structure activity
relationships and development of ACE inhibitors (drug
design) for treatment of hypertension, congestive heart
failure, myocardial infarction and renal disease (Sturrock
lab);
5. Application of functional proteomics for diagnostics,
drug and vaccine development for infectious disease
and cancers (Blackburn lab).
6. Diagnostic, structure and function studies in the
porphyrias and haem biosynthesis (Meissner lab –
currently sited and staffed in the Dept. of Medicine)
7. Structural basis for differential regulation of glutamine
synthetase in humans and the malaria parasite,
structural studies on the nitrilase family of enzymes
in the context of cancer, mycothiol synthetic pathway
in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Sewell lab- currently
located on UCT upper campus)
Physical space for the Structural biology research Unit and
the Porphyria labs remain a problem.
Research staff members, fellows, postgrad students
participated in many local and international conferences
during the year. Our Division considers such travel essential
and worthwhile in that they give rise to new collaborations
and maintenance of established collaborations and lab
research visits.
Selected Divisional Statistics
Professors
5
Professor (emeritus) appointed as Senior Scholar
1
Professors on establishment but working in affiliated
Institutions
1
Associate Professors
3
Senior-Lecturers
0
Technical Support Staff
4
Departmental Assistants
3
Administrative Staff
2
Total
19
Honorary Staff
Honorary Professor
1
Honorary Associate Professor
1
Honorary Senior Lecturers
2
Honorary Research Associate
1
Total
5
Students & Fellows
Postdoctoral fellows
20
Research students:
Doctoral
29
Master’s
24
Honours
11
Undergraduate students taking Med. Biochem courses
626
Total
710