Physiology conference aims to understand, prevent, regenerate

The conference theme is "Understand, prevent, regenerate".

The conference will, among other topics feature updates on local research being done in Southern Africa and beyond on stem cells, exercise, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Topics related to the teaching of physiological sciences at university level will also be discussed.

All talks and poster presentations will take place in the Mike de Vries Building, which is home to the Department of Physiological Sciences.

"We are privileged to have three international guest speakers and a number of leading local experts as our main speakers," says Prof Anna-Mart Engelbrecht of the SU Department of Physiological Sciences, who chairs the local organising committee.

Prof Gianni Parise of McMaster University in Canada will speak on the environmental cues which are released in the hours and days following exercise-induced muscle damage and the intracellular events that act downstream of these signals, leading to the activation of myogenic regulatory factors.

Prof Anne Jonassen, a well-established physiologist in the field of cardiovascular research from the University of Bergen in Norway, will discuss the role of insulin therapy after acute myocardial infarction.

Prof Jacob Mafunda, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Lesotho, is a national of Zimbabwe who has a long career in the practical medical and academic fields. He is a widely published academic author and his work includes diverse topics such as cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, HIV, malaria, as well as medical education.

Prof Faadiel Essop, chair of the SU Department of Physiological Sciences, and stem cell specialist Dr Carola Niesler from the University of KwaZulu Natal (and former SU staff member), are also plenary speakers. Other academics from South African institutions who are involved as plenary speakers are Prof Annie Joubert (University of Pretoria), Prof Peter Kamerman (University of the Witwatersrand) and Dr Lester Davids (University Cape Town).

The conference also has a strong student contingent, with students from the various physiological sciences departments at Southern African universities vying for the honours in the Wyndham oral competition and the Johnny van der Walt poster presentation competition.

See here for more information about the conference.