Bio: Professor Julian David Pillay began working at the Durban University of Technology in 1997 as Lecturer in Human Anatomy. He completed a Masters degree in Public Health at the University of KwaZulu Natal in 2005 and a PhD in Physiology (Exercise Science and Sports Medicine) at the University of Cape Town (in collaboration with the Vrye University of the Netherlands) in 2013. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2013 and Associate Professor in 2016. Prof Pillay also achieved an NRF rating (Y category) in 2016.In addition to his teaching (Human Anatomy) and management (HOD: Basic Medical Sciences) role, Prof Pillay has, over the past years, been actively involved in the supervision of masters and doctoral students in research related to physical activity as well as more varied research in Public Health, with particular emphasis on the employed sector. He has secured various scholarships and funding instruments and attained a steady and consistent publication record in both physical activity/public health and medical education in several high impact journals. More recently, he has been invited to collaborate on a series of review papers and meta-analyses around the global burden of disease as a South African representative and collaborator, several of which have been published in high impact journals.
www.stepsthatcount.co.za  –  Prof JD Pillay Publications

Bio: Prof Firoza Haffejee holds a PhD from the Optics and Imaging Centre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her focus for the doctoral research was on the role of the adipokine, leptin, on the aetiology of pre-eclampsia in women who are infected with HIV. Her current research centres on HIV epidemiology and other public health issues. Prof Haffejee is also interested in new and innovative teaching. She has implemented these methods in her classes and also published her findings on these new teaching styles. In addition to teaching undergraduate students in the Health Sciences, she also supervises Masters and Doctoral students from various Health Science departments.Furthermore she mentors interns from the National Research Foundation. She has collaborative links with local researchers from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Cape Town and CAPRISA. In addition, she also has international links with Virginia Commonwealth University in the USA and University of Leeds in England. Her publications are in the areas of pre-eclampsia, HIV, public health and health science education. She has published widely and has won two research awards in 2017 for the top researcher in the Faculty of Health Sciences and as the top junior researcher at DUT.

PAPERS PUBLISHED IN PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS F Haffejee

Bio: Mrs Kharwa obtained her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and a Masters in Medical Science with a specialization in Clinical Pharmacology from The University of KwaZulu-Natal (previously UDW). She also holds a family planning certificate from the University of Potchefstroom. Mrs Kharwa has vast clinical and industrial experience and has spent 14 years in the public and private sector, seven of which were in a management position. Mrs Kharwa joined the ML Sultan campus in 1996 as lecturer in Pharmacology and thereafter became Senior Lecturer in 2001.

Bio: Dr Nalini Govender obtained a PhD from the Optics and Imaging Centre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her doctoral research focused on the role of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors in pre-eclampsia development in women infected with HIV. She is currently involved in animal models of preeclampsia development as well as the prevalence of uncontrolled diabetes, and identifying its sociodemographic and clinical determinants. Her undergraduate teaching embraces the use of different teaching styles in the classroom.She also supervises both MSc and PhD students in the faculty of Health Sciences as well as mentors interns in the field of basic medical sciences, who are funded by the National Research Foundation. Dr Govender has an intradepartmental collaboration with Dr F Ally in medical education. In addition, she has interdepartmental collaborations with colleagues within DUT, as well as national and international collaborative links and with the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Iowa. Her publications are in the areas of HIV related pre-eclampsia, and medical education.

Bio: Mrs Thandar holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and a Masters in Medical Science degree with a speciality in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. After spending a number of years in clinical practice in both academic hospital and the private sector, she joined the Durban University of Technology as a senior lecturer in pharmacology. Yasmeen, since then has had over ten years teaching experience at many reputable universities. She has taught as a part-time lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand to pharmacy,medical, dental and nursing students as well as at the University of Johanneburg to homoepathy and chiropractic students.Yasmeen is currently a full time academic, lecturing at the Durban University of Technology in the Department of Basic Medical Science. Her speciality is teaching pharmacology to numerous allied health students including postgraduate nursing , emergency medical care and rescue, homoeopathy, chiropractic and dental assisting students. She is also a co-author of a purely South African pharmacology textbook targeted at allied health students and professionals.

Bio: Mrs Ducray began her studies at Wits where she completed her medical BSc as well as her honours degree. Always having enjoyed teaching, she joined the staff of the (then) Technikon Natal as a lecturer in 1992 where she has lectured in anatomy, physiology, histology and general pathology. With the focus of DUT starting to include more research, she decided to register for her Masters in medical Science at UKZN Medical School in the optics and imaging department.Her Masters dissertation compared the morphometry of placentae from normotensive and hypertensive pregnancies with a view to contributing to the growing theoretical debate surrounding the yet poorly understood aetiology of pre-eclampsia. Although still very new to research and academic discourse, Mrs Ducray has presented at both local and international conferences and is currently studying towards her PhD in Health Sciences at DUT. Her research is investigating current practices and experiences of patients and oncologists in the use of TCAM (Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine) in breast cancer, with a view to contributing to the debate on integrative oncology. Her passion remains the classroom and the privilege of leading students on journeys of discovery and learning.

Bio: Dr Kell holds a Masters of Homoeopathy degree and practices as a Homoeopath with an interest in women’s health. She joined DUT in 2009 as a pathology lecturer and completed her post graduate certificate in education in 2017, graduating cum laude. Subsequent educational interests include the use of technology in education. She was the faculty champion for DUT’s e-Learning project and currently sits on the LMS project task team.

Bio: Dr Ally holds a PhD in Anatomy and a Masters degree in Education with a speciality in Higher Education from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She has over twenty five years teaching experience and with a speciality in teaching gross anatomy (via body dissection and prosected specimens) to chiropractic, homoeopathy, radiography and medical orthotics and prosthetics students. She has also taught anatomy, anatomy and physiology, physiology and pharmacology to clinical technology, environmental health, somatology, emergency medical care and rescue as well as food and food service management students. Dr Ally is also interested in new and innovative teaching, learning and assessment strategies.She has implemented these methods in her classes and has mentored students in terms of their learning styles and matching appropriate study methods on an individual basis. She was nominated for, and is currently participating in the Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) Fellowship where she is collaborating with academics from universities across South Africa to improve teaching and learning at universities. In addition to teaching undergraduate students in the Health Sciences, she also supervises Honours and Masters students from various Health Science departments.

Bio: Mr Mkhize joined DUT as a staff member in 2011 as the Anatomy Senior Technician in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences after having acquired Anatomy experience from previous employment with special skills such as Embalming of cadavers and various Plastination Techniques. He is also currently in charge of the Willed Body Donation Programme in the BMS department.

Bio: Mrs Mbhele obtained her Masters degree in medical Microbiology at UKZN. She currently works as a Physiology Technician and her research interests are in Tuberculosis and HIV.

Bio: Mrs Padayachee completed her BSc at Rhodes University in 2005, with majors in Microbiology and Zoology. She joined DUT as a staff member in 2006 and is currently a Physiology Technician in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences. She is completing a BTech in Biotechnology (at DUT), her research is on Anticoagulant properties of Halogenated Coumarins.

Bio: Miss Manyathi completed her National Diploma in Human Resources Management in 2013. Completed Bachelor of Technology in Human Resources Management in 2015 graduated cum laude. She joined DUT as a staff member in 2009 and is currently appointed as a departmental secretary in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences.