Faculty of Health & Wellness Sciences

Dean (2021)

The Faculty of Health & Wellness Sciences specialises in many diverse fields related to overall health and well-being, and consists of several research centres and units working towards improving the current health dynamic. The staff and postgraduate students produce significant research outputs, which represent CPUT and South Africa on the international stage.

Despite 2020 being an incredibly difficult year for lecturers, researchers and students alike, this faculty is very proud to announce many graduates. So far, it records three doctoral and nine master’s graduates this year, although these numbers are expected to increase as examination results continue to roll in. Notably, five graduates are from the Department of Emergency Medical Sciences, which has never seen this many graduates in one academic year. It is also important to note a slight increase in the doctoral graduate level. Several doctoral candidates are awaiting examination results, which will further increase the number of graduates to well over 17.

Staff members graduating at CPUT include Dr Florence Davidson and Dr Merlisa Kemp with a Doctor of Radiography qualification, and Ms Roxanne Tamlyn Maritz with a Master of Emergency Medical Care. Dr Nomfundo Mkhombe graduated with a DSc Public Health from Atlantic International University (USA). Student enrolments continued to impress despite the national lockdown starting in March. Master’s enrolments totalled 83, including 25 in Biomedical Sciences, 4 in Dental Technology, 12 in Emergency Medical Care, 22 in Radiography and 20 in Nursing. PhD enrolments totalled 24, including 18 in Biomedical Sciences and 6 in Radiography.

Regarding NRF ratings, Prof Matsha was awarded a C1 rating, retaining this rating from the previous cycle, and Prof Peter Clarck-Farr was awarded a C3 rating. This brings the number of rated scientists in the faculty to six (Prof Matsha C1; Prof Jooste C2; Prof Engel-Hills C2; Prof Clarcke-Farr C3; Prof Davison C3; Prof Oguntibeju C3).

Due to the nature of the academic sphere during 2020, many students participated in online conferences and workshops held by the faculty as well by as international organisations. The SAMRC/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit organised an international Point of Care Conference, which was unfortunately postponed due to the lockdown. It is now scheduled to be held online during May 2021. The unit is currently collaborating with Stellenbosch University on a patient-centred Covid-19 study.

The Faculty of Health & Wellness Sciences prides itself on producing research outputs at the forefront of health sciences in South Africa. Interdepartmental collaboration further strengthens the research ethos of the faculty and promises a better year ahead.

Dean (Acting) (2020)

FOCUS AREAS

Research Group: Phytotherapy Research Group p 112

More information about this faculty’s 2020 research activities can be found in the Focus Areas section of this Research Report

SOURCE AMOUNT

Improvement of Qualifications (UCDG) National Research Foundation (NRF): Grant-Holder linked Postdoctoral 159 200 797 948 756 250

Postgraduate Internal Bursaries Publication 2018 Faculty Contribution 480 000 341 248

Publication 2018 Chapter in Book Contribution

15 153 Publication 2018 Conference Contribution 2 606 Publication 2018 Journal Article Contribution 410 104 Research & Innovation Fund for Teaching & Learning (RIFTAL) 50 000 Top up grants (UCDG) 42 000 University Research Fund (UCDG) 15 500 TOTAL 3 070 008

2020 PUBLICATIONS (SUBMITTED TO THE DHET IN MAY 2021) UNITS

Conference proceedings (submitted) Journal articles (audited) 0.25 17.03

TOTAL 17.28

Research Chair: Cardiometabolic Health Research Centre p 165

CPUT and the Western Cape’s Department of Health have signed an important agreement pertaining to teaching, training and research opportunities for students in the health sciences. VC Prof Chris Nhlapo and the Head of Health in the Western Cape, Dr Keith Cloete, signed the bilateral agreement (BLA) on 19 November.

Prof Penelope Engel-Hills, acting Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, said the agreement was essential “to ensure the ongoing education of students in our programmes who need access to the provincial clinical platform for the workplace learning component of the programme.”

The departments within the faculty that are directly involved are Medical Imaging, Therapeutic Sciences and Emergency Medical Sciences, while Nursing will also be an important stakeholder in the agreement. Prof Engel-Hills said Dental Sciences had a peripheral involvement and Ophthalmic Sciences might become part of the agreement with the offering of new programmes.

Dr Saadiq Kariem, Western Cape Government Health COO, described the signing as a historic moment and stated: “This agreement will establish governance structures between CPUT and Western Cape Government Health. We have an existing platform, but now we have a formal agreement on what our students will do in our facilities, a code of training, the types of training they will receive and from whom they can expect training”.

Prof Chris Nhlapo and Dr Keith Cloete

POSTGRADUATE DEGREES OBTAINED BY STAFF

Doctor of Radiography CPUT Davidson F Body fat distribution and cardiometabolic risk factors in South African men and women

Doctor of Radiography CPUT Kemp MC Ultrasound investigation of risk factors for extracranial vascular pathology in patients with multiple sclerosis

DSc Public Health Atlantic International University (USA) Mkhombe N The dissemination of retinal screening results to diabetic patients attending the diabetic club or clinical appointments in a day hospital in Cape Town, South Africa

Master of Emergency Medical Care CPUT Maritz RT Emergence of child abuse diagnostic education in emergency care: A common concern

The acting Dean of FHWS, Prof Penelope Engel-Hills, has been appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of the National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC).

The NHREC’s core responsibilities are to: • set ethical norms and standards for health research • advance research ethics in South Africa • promote, ensure and monitor compliance by health research ethics committees with regulations and ethics guidelines • to register and audit health research ethics committees

The responsibilities of the NHREC stem from the need to ensure ethical integrity in research involving human participants and animals, and that the research is based on sound scientific principles.

“I am pleased to be serving a second term on the NHREC and to be appointed as the Deputy Chairperson. This comes with responsibilities, and I do not underestimate the work that lies ahead for this council,” said Prof Engel-Hills. “We do build on the solid foundation of three previous councils, and I look forward to the next steps to advance research ethics in South Africa.”

Prof Penelope Engel-Hills

Prof Oluwafemi Oguntibeju Prof Oluwafemi Oguntibeju’s research on medicinal plants and chronic diseases has earned him his first nomination in the Data for Research Award category of the NSTF-South32 Awards. The category deals with the availability of a person’s research data (publications), citation, impact and usage by other researchers and scientists on platforms such as Google Scholar, Figshare, LiveDNA, Pubmed and the university repository.

Prof Oguntibeju’s research focus is on medicinal plants and chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and HIV/Aids. “It shows that other researchers are reading and making use of my scientific publications. It provides some kind of motivation to contribute more to the scientific community in terms of scientific publications,” he observed. “This is a recognition of my research publications and it indicates that CPUT researchers are actively involved in significant research activities that are of relevance nationally and internationally. It takes hard work, focus, and perseverance. I see my work as a service rather than a competition.”

Prof Oguntibeju was recently admitted as Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, a recognition based on his scientific publications. He also collaborates with colleagues on specific projects at the University of the Western Cape, University of Ibadan and other universities in South Africa.

Head of CPUT’s Biomedical Sciences Department, Prof Glenda Davison, was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s Powerful Women for 2020. Each year during August, the publication profiles the transformative work done by women. According to the publication, the 50 women on its 2020 list did not only excel in their chosen fields but also made it a priority to use their positions to fight for the betterment of our society.

“I am feeling overwhelmed and grateful for the recognition, but at the same time completely humbled, as I know that there are many powerful women in this country who are doing amazing things without getting the acknowledgment. I certainly don’t feel powerful but am happy that I am able to make a difference,” said Prof Davison, whose focus area is haematology.

Graduations and working with an amazing team of academics and staff are what she enjoys most about her work. “I have so many highlights and have enjoyed every moment of my career, which has involved working in a diagnostic laboratory, performing research, and of course teaching… My biggest highlights are seeing our students achieve and knowing that I have made a difference.”

In 2011, Prof Davison received the Bridge Mohan Award for her research contribution to haematology. She said she was nominated for the Mail & Guardian’s Powerful Women for 2020 by Quote this Women (https:// quotethiswoman.org. za/). The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences celebrated the success of three doctoral graduates in June. Among them were two academics from the faculty, Dr Lizel Hudson and Dr Merlisa Kemp, who were awarded the degree Doctor of Radiography during the digital graduation.

Prof Glenda Davison Dr Lizel Hudson, Dr Toyin Alabi and Dr Merlisa Kemp

Dr Hudson is the Work-Integrated Learning and Language Co-ordinator in the faculty. Her thesis was titled ‘Teaching and learning threshold concepts in radiation physics for professional practice’. She says her research objective “was to contribute to an understanding of threshold concepts in the first-year radiation physics curriculum and pedagogical approaches used for the purpose of preparation towards competent and safe clinical practice”.

Dr Kemp is a lecturer and BSc Diagnostic Ultrasound Programme Co-ordinator in the Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences. Her study was titled ‘Ultrasound investigation of risk factors for extracranial vascular pathology in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)’.

Dr Kemp says, “The most significant finding which indicates the positive correlation between vascular health of the major neck arteries and MS disability, means that MS persons with greater disability are not only at risk of developing carotid atherosclerosis, but are also at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, early therapeutic interventional measures should be implemented to reduce extracranial atherosclerosis which will slow down progression of MS disability and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Ultimately, the quality of life and life expectancy of MS persons will be improved.”

The third graduate from the faculty was Dr Toyin Alabi, who was awarded the degree Doctor of Philosophy: Biomedical Sciences. Her thesis was titled ‘Effect of Anchomanes difformis extract on biochemical and histological parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetes and diabetic complications’.

Dr Florence Davidson

Academic Dr Florence Davidson said she learned valuable lessons on how to become a better supervisor for her own students while completing her doctoral studies. An academic in the Medical Imaging & Therapeutic Sciences Department, Dr Davidson graduated with a Doctor of Radiography degree during the Smart Graduation ceremony in December. Her thesis was titled ‘Body fat distribution and cardio-metabolic risk factors in South African men and women’.

“This study sought to validate dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as a method of quantifying central adiposity, to explore the relationship between body fat distribution and cardiometabolic risk and determine the ability of DEXA compared to anthropometry to identify participants with metabolic syndrome,” said Dr Davidson.

She explained that the main findings were that “Central fat was the most significant correlate of cardio-metabolic risk and lower body fat was associated with reduced risk. Novel DEXA body fat distribution correlations were demonstrated with computer tomography, anthropometry and cardiometabolic risk”. It was a proud moment for nursing students when they received their training epaulettes during a recent ceremony on the Bellville campus. Epaulettes are worn to indicate progress in terms of year levels of study. At the end of training, students qualify as professional nurses with maroon epaulettes and coloured bars indicating specialities.

Head of the Department of Nursing Science Prof Karien Jooste opened the ceremony with a message of welcome. Senior Lecturer Dr Rugira Marie Modeste presented a keynote address, noting that the WHO had designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. This was done to mark the bicentenary of the birth of the founder of modern nursing, the famous Florence Nightingale, and to recognise the critical contribution nurses make to global health.

Dr Modeste said the programmes in the Department of Nursing Science followed a person-centred approach, and the epaulettes should be worn to remind students to be accountable to their nursing responsibilities.

Lecturer Ms Suveena Singh said it was the first time the department had hosted such an event and epaulettes were issued to a total of 170 first- and second-year students. “The epaulettes make it easier for staff in hospitals to distinguish the students,” she said. “When you decide to be a nurse it means you are devoting your life to caring for the community.”

Nursing students with their epaulettes

Prof Penelope Engel-Hills and Prof Hilde Ibsen were successful in obtaining NRF/STINT Grant funding for 3 years to conduct research on a project with the title ‘Knowledge partnerships and social transformation’. This research created the opportunity for them to enter the community of Ocean View in the South Cape Peninsula.

Prof Engel-Hills says that they have reported in several formats on the research and will continue to do so. “However, I would like to stress that there is more to research than doing the study when the researchers work in a social transformation paradigm with a data gathering methodology of the co-creation of living knowledge.” She continues, “As our project has progressed, we have formed meaningful relationships with some residents over an extended period, and all relationships in the partnership (i.e. researchers, students, an NPO and residents of Ocean View), have come a little closer to being more equal. We recognise that the learning gain has accrued to us, the researchers, as much as to the others in the partnership. I am personally grateful for my growth through this research project. We are in year four now, with a viral hiccup in 2020, when research could not continue but the relationships could be strengthened as we all faced the challenges of the pandemic.”

“Let me briefly tell you one wonderful story to encourage you. During the period of our project, a 5-women co-operative was formed through the inspiration and drive of one woman. These women have gained skills and knowledge and are now farmers who grow amazing organic vegetables which they sell by order in a seasonal selection box. They have a tea room, the Hoenderhok, attached to the farm garden. Here you can enjoy breakfast and lunch with a menu that incorporates the produce from the garden. In the kitchen built from containers, they have an efficient wood stove for baking bread, pizzas, muffins, scones and more delicious treats. Never have I had such incredible Green Juice or such a fabulous vegetable lasagne! The message however is the heart, as this co-operative also provides vegetables and bread to those in need, and they continued throughout Covid-19 to support a ‘No hHunger’ campaign in Ocean View. The mixed financial model applied is something we could all learn from in our dominantly capitalist approach to business undertakings.”

Prof Engel-Hills said that their research in Ocean View will continue, but with a growing emphasis on taking what they learn about the effects of social and structural injustice blended together with the evidence of resilience in the amazing people in Ocean View.

Mr Heinri van Zyl, recipient of the VC’s medal

BSc Diagnostic Radiography graduate Mr Heinri van Zyl was awarded the VC’s medal after passing his degree summa cum laude with a 91% average. Mr Van Zyl is a community service radiographer at Tygerberg Academic Hospital. His personal motto is “Life isn’t always easy, but it’s always beautiful”.

“It is a great honour to have been selected for the Vice-Chancellor’s medal,” he said. “I am thankful to all my lecturers and classmates who partook in my journey towards my degree, and to CPUT for providing us with the opportunity to be rewarded for our hard work. This award is dedicated to all our sleepless nights, study sessions and class projects, and to our parents, guardians and sponsors who supported us in our studies.”

Mr Van Zyl matriculated from Worcester Gymnasium High School in 2003. He qualified as a pilot in 2009 and obtained his South African Civil Aviation Authority Commercial Pilot’s license, which he also passed with distinction. He has worked as a flight instructor for Worcester Flying Club and has been a navigation expert volunteer with Search and Rescue, where he has helped with numerous rescues. CPUT’s Department of Biomedical Sciences has done everything in its power to ensure students at various institutions continued receiving excellent training amid the Covid-19 pandemic. HOD Prof Glenda Davison said one of the main challenges has been how to continue teaching in an abnormal situation, while ensuring students complete the year, and while maintaining physical distancing and safety.

“This was particularly important for the final fourth-years who are required to complete clinical practice in an accredited laboratory before being able to register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). The laboratories in the Western Cape are under severe pressure and so students were not allowed to continue their training and have been at home throughout the lockdown,” said Prof Davison. She added that the solution was to work together with all other universities of technology offering this programme and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).

“Because our qualifications are dependent on HPCSA accreditation and approval, the various universities decided to put together a proposal for the HPCSA on how we could, as a united group, continue with both third- and fourth-year clinical practice,” she said. “After an online meeting, we proposed that the requirements to register be supplemented with off-site training. This could include training in a simulated clinical practice laboratory, online videos which would demonstrate relevant laboratory procedures, online tutorials and learning material.”

Prof Davison said the NHLS had partnered with the university and had already set up online sessions using Zoom. She added that CPUT was fortunate to have a simulated clinical practice laboratory situated at the NHLS in Green Point. This laboratory has been able to provide training to students in an environment similar to the workplace, but in small groups and in a focused way.

Innovative exploration to ensure students complete their training