CE 100LEBR YE ATIN A G T EX EACRS O F CE H I LLE NG 191 9-2NCE 019
Foreword: Willie Daniels On behalf of the current staff of the School of Physiology, I wish to warmly invite you to be part of our celebra on of 100 years of teaching and learning. It is, of course, impossible to capture all the highlights that have occurred over this me. Nevertheless, upon reflec on, the School has made many remarkable contribu ons to the building of a learned society through excellent teaching and training over these 100 years. Over this me, the School has also made substan al contribu ons to the expansion of our understanding of health science and physiology through ground-breaking research. It is worth no ng that the School has consistently produced (and con nues to produce) graduates that hold top posi ons in ter ary ins tu ons, government, and the private sector, both locally and abroad. Such academic gains have occurred in an ever-changing environment where the academy has been in constant compe on with large scale socio-economic needs. Despite these challenges it is quite remarkable how the School has managed to maintain its high standards over the years, and perhaps this longstanding achievement of delivering a world class service to our academic community may be indica ve of the absolute commitment of all staff towards this goal. A great deal of effort has been put into tracking down and invi ng as many of our former staff and alumni as possible to this celebratory event but, as could be expected, we have not been able to track down all previous members and a few of the invited have had to decline due to clashing commitments or distance. While we are sad about this, we are simultaneously happy and extremely grateful that so many could join us today to reflect on the School, its achievements, and the people that were responsible for them. So, thank you very much for sacrificing your precious me and for sharing in our celebra ons.
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Centenary Celebration Programme 12h00 – 12h30: Arrival and welcome refreshments/snacks 12h30 – 12h35: Welcome (Prof Andrea Fuller) 12h40 – 13h00: A talk on the history of the School of Physiology (Prof Warrick McKinon) 13h00 – 13h05: A talk on our first Head of School: Professor Eustace H Cluver (Ann 'Cluver' Weinberg) 13h05 – 13h25: Recollec ons by Professor Duncan Mitchell 13h25 – 13h30: Recollec ons by Daisy Sithole 13h30 – 13h35: Some words from postgraduate students (Mercy Mashao and Temitope Fagbohun) 13h35 – 15h00: Buffet lunch 15h00 – 15h30: Something special for the School of Physiology 15h30: Closing remarks and a vote of thanks (Prof Willie Daniels)
A Short History of the School of Physiology On April 7th 1916, the Council of the Witwatersrand Branch of the Bri sh Medical Associa on called a general mee ng of registered prac oners of the Transvaal. At this mee ng, it was decided that the me had come for a School of Medicine to be established in the Transvaal, and that this should be communicated to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Educa on and Members of both Houses of Parliament. Thus began what we all fondly know as ‘Wits Medical School’.
status (later taken over by the Department of Physiology). Following the leadership of Professor Rosendorff, new Head of the Department of Physiology - Professor Duncan Mitchell - con nued to add to the ever-growing range of research topics of the department during his tenure. He has con nued to add tremendous value and research diversity to the Department since this me. Therea er, Professor Graham Mitchell took over the Department. In addi on to research contribu ons, Professor Graham Mitchell contributed greatly to the teaching methods and means of assessment of the dDepartment, a lot of which remains the same today.
By 1919, there were enough students to cons tute anatomy and physiology classes, and Professor Eustace Cluver was appointed the first Chair of Physiology. The idea was that anatomy and physiology exams would be taken in the third year of medical studies. Professor Cluver served as Head of the Department of Physiology for eight years, during which me he also lectured the subject. Following Professor Cluver’s me as Head of Department, Professor Arthur Dighton ‘AD’ Stammers took his place as the second Head of the Department of Physiology. Therea er, the Head of Department posi on went to Professor Joseph Gillman. During these years (1940’s and 1950’s), the Department of Physiology was ac ve in a number of research areas, including some work in body temperature, blood variables, cancer research, pathology, endocrinology and – notably – nutri on.
The unfortunate passing of Professor Johann Ha ngh (Head of the Department of General Physiology), combined with university financial constraints, led to the re-amalgama on of the sister departments of anatomy and physiology with their medical school counterparts. Thus, from 1996, dental and medical students began learning physiology together once again. Today, the School of Physiology is responsible for the undergraduate teaching of physiology to medical students, dental students, physiotherapy students, occupa onal therapy students, nursing students, science students and biomedical engineering students.
During the tenure of Professor Gillman, the SubDepartment of Physiological Chemistry was created. Professor Paul R Levy was appointed as Head of the Sub-Department. Furthermore, during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the no on of a separate anatomy and physiology departmentss for the Dental School was proposed. Thus, the Department of General Physiology was established in 1969, and Professor Luck was served as the first Hhead of Ddepartment. At the me, the department consisted of two members of academic staff (Professor Luck and Doctor Keegan), three lab assistants and one secretary!
There is no doubt that the Sschool has come a long way: in its earliest days, there were no windows or doorframes and Professor Cluver is said to have used bricks as paper weights during his first lectures, to less than 20 students. Today, the School of Physiology produces cu ng-edge research, and gives its students access to observe and par cipate in a range of scien fic techniques – not only to hundreds of undergraduate students, but also to overthe over 100 postgraduate students (including PhD, Masters and Honours students) it trains.
For a short period, during the early 1960’s, Professor Cyril Wyndham took over as Head of Department, thus fron ng biophysical aspects of physiology. The introduc on of biophysical physiology research led to major contribu ons in heat stress, both in exercise and in deep-level mining condi ons.
The success of the School is, without a doubt, as a result of the hard work of the stalwarts of its past. In the words of Nobel Prize winner (and former staff member of the Physiology Department) the late Emeritus Professor Sydney Brenner: “Aa scien st should be judged by the quality of the people he has helped to produce and not by prizes or other honours bestowed on him”. By this measure, the scien sts who have gone before us have received amongst the greatest of accolades. It is a responsibility of all current and future members of the School of Physiology to ensure that these same values ins lled by the excep onal individuals of the School’s past remain part of our very pres gious department.
Therea er, during the 1970’s, the Department of Physiology was dras cally re-organised under the leadership of a new Head of Department, Professor Clive Rosendorff. Meanwhile, during the late 1970’s, the Department of General Physiology (Den stry) became responsible for teaching physiology and biochemistry to pharmacy students, whose qualifica on had recently been upgraded to a degree THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY
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HEADS OF SCHOOL Heads of Department (School) of Physiology, and General Physiology (Dental School)
Professor Eustace Cluver Head of the Department of Physiology 1919 to 1927
Professor Eustace Cluver was born and schooled in South Africa. A er his schooling, in 1914, he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship and thus began his studies at Oxford University and London for four years. There, he worked with Professor Charles Sherrington – the most eminent physiologist of the me. He was awarded a medical degree (Oxford) a er taking the medical course at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London.
Research Appeal in 1949. He travelled throughout South Africa to ensure the success of the appeal for research funds for polio, and was largely responsible for ensuring its success. Professor Cluver returned to Wits a er his work for the South African Ins tute for Medical Research and Polio Research Appeal as Professor of Public Health. Therea er, in 1959, he was appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for five years before his re rement. Professor Cluver wrote several books on public health, which became reference books in South Africa at the me. He also con nued to serve the State Health Department, the Council for Scien fic and Industrial Research, and as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Poliomyeli s Research Founda on. He was also a member of the South African Medical and Dental Society.
In 1919, Professor Cluver was appointed the very first Professor of Physiology in the Medical School of the Witwatersrand and became the Head of Department. Thus, he certainly holds a very special place in the School of Physiology's history. Professor Cluver had a strong interest in public health and, a er his post in the Physiology Department, joined the Union Health Department and served there for 10 years, ul mately as Secretary for Health. Professor Cluver also spent me as Director of the Medical Services of the Union Defence Force. In 1940, Professor Cluver was appointed Director of the South African Ins tute for Medical Research, which provided a medical laboratory service to serve the Union Defence Force and its hospitals in South Africa, Kenya, the Middle East and Italy. A er the war, the ins tute provided country-wide laboratory services and expanded its research programmes. Professor Cluver was greatly involved in the Polio
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Professor Arthur (A D) Stammers Head of the Department of Physiology 1928 to 1949
Professor Arthur Dighton Stammers (our longest serving head) was educated at Dean Close School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He received his masters and doctoral degrees in the United Kingdom (London Hospital).
Professor Joseph 'Joe' Gillman began his ter ary educa on as a medical school student at Wits, during which me he also completed a BSc degree. He was par cularly passionate about histology, even being put in charge of the histology subProfessor department before Joseph Gillman finishing his medical Head of the studies, although he Department of later joined the Physiology Department of 1951 to 1961 Anatomy as an official member of staff. In 1948, he was awarded the honorary status of Reader in Experimental Biology and Medicine, and a DSc was awarded to him in 1939 for his work on Golgi Apparatus in human ssues.
Professor Stammers took over from Professor Cluver as the second O o Beit Chair of Physiology.
His research varied, inves ga ng feeding experiments with reference to vitamin content in various foods. In contrast, other interests included blood variables and body temperature in normal rats, and leucocyte ra os at the Johannesburg al tude.
Professor Joe Gillman is also recognised for his guidance to his students. Renowned scien st Phillip V Tobias cites his PhD supervision by Professor Joseph Gillman as an influen al mentorship for studying science and medicine. Nobel Prize winner Sydney Brenner came under his wing when he joined the Physiology Department, thus mentoring him in basic research skills.
Professor Stammers served as the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences in 1948 and 1949. A er his term at Wits, he returned to the United Kingdom, to St John's College, Cambridge. Professor Stammers' talents did not lie only in physiology: in 1931 he wrote a three-act comedy that was produced at the Jewish Guild Memorial Hall on November 3rd, 4th and 5th.
Professor Joe Gillman, along with his brother Theodore 'Teddy' Gillman (Department of Anatomy), published over 230 research items, which were both prodigious and diverse. He made contribu ons to cytology, histology, embryology, nutri on, cancer research, experimental pathology, endocrinology, menstrual and reproduc ve physiology, embryonic development, and primatology. In 1953, he won the South Africa Medal (gold). Professor Gillman contributed important research on perspec ves in human malnutri on. The Wits University-CSIR Nutri on Research Unit was set up as a result of his keen interest in nutri on, and he served as its director from 1948 un l 1961. He also
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founded the South African Journal of Medical Sciences. He became regarded as a world expert in nutri on in children, and the Na onal Ins tute of Health and Medical Research branch of the Ghana Academy of Sciences has a library of over 7 000 volumes and 400 periodicals originally based on Professor Joe Gillman's private collec on on medical sciences. Professor Gillman also established the Medical Research Unit in Accra, Ghana. He held several posi ons on commi ees, both South African and interna onal, including the SA Na onal Cancer Associa on, Interna onal Union against Cancer, Africa Commi ee on Geographical Pathology, the Commi ee on the Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis, and even the World Health Organisa on.
Professor Cyril Wyndham Head of the Department of Physiology 1963 – 1964
due to his work on solving physiological problems faced by miners. The work he and his team undertook has directly influenced the way in which miners can now work at deep-level safely in hot environments underground. Thus, Professor Wyndham was an interna onally renowned South African exercise and heat stress physiologist. His paper on heatstroke is one of the most influen al papers in sports science, and the conclusions he came to have come to be regarded as founda on beliefs. Professor Wyndham and his colleague Nic Strydom, also provided the basis for Posi on Stands (specific goals for how much athletes should drink during exercise), produced by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1987 and 1996. When Professor Wyndham re red from the Chamber of Mines, he joined the Medical Research Council (MRC) as an epidemiologist at the Ins tute for Biosta s cs and ul mately made major contribu ons to cardiovascular physiology in what is thought of as the 'second wave' of his career. These observa ons provided strong support for establishing the Heart Founda on of Southern Africa.
Professor Wyndham was born, raised and schooled in South Africa. Although he gained a reputa on as being an excellent athlete, he then went on to study medicine at the medical college of Wits. He graduated top of his class with several prizes and awards.
Professor Wyndham received many honours and accolades, including the MRC's gold medal (1985) and an honorary doctoral degree from Wits University. The Wyndham Prize Compe on is named in honour of Professor Wyndham and is presented to a young researcher for the best oral presenta on in the Physiological Sciences at the Annual Physiology Society of Southern Africa (PSSA) Conference.
In 1942, despite his ini al wishes to pursue a career in cardiology, he joined the South African Medical Corps. He served in Italy at the 64th Bri sh General Hospital during World War II. A er the war, he conducted postgraduate work in London and Oxford, where he was encouraged in the research direc on of human physiology. When he returned to South Africa, he was appointed director of the Human Services Laboratory of the Chamber of Mines Research Organisa on.
It was at this point in his career that Professor Wyndham became a Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology at Wits. He became a leading interna onal expert on thermal physiology THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY
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HEADS OF SCHOOL As well as serving as Head of the Department of Physiology, Professor Cecil P Luck also served as the first Head of Department of General Physiology, the dental side of physiology, from 1969 un l 1978. He studied at the Department of Professor Physiology, University Cecil Luck College London and was Head of the then ac ve as an Department of accomplished Physiology researcher at the 1965 to 1968 Department of Physiology Makerere University College, Kampala, Uganda.
Professor Rosendorff graduated with his BSc Honours from Wits in 1958 and studied for his medical degree as well as completed postgraduate studies through Wits. Following his term as the Head of the Professor Department of Clive Rosendorff Physiology, Professor Head of the Rosendorff served as Department of the Dean of the Physiology University of the 1970 – 1986 Witwatersrand Medical School, from 1988 un l 1991. He was also the Chairman for the very first PSSA mee ng in 1971.
A prolific publisher in compara ve physiology, func onal anatomy, op c physiology and circulatory physiology, including at least four Nature papers, Professor Luck was later appointed as professor emeritus from Wits.
Professor Rosendorff's research has inves gated hypertension, vascular biology, cardiovascular pharmacology, coronary blood flow, cerebral circula on, and geriatric cardiology. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed research papers and book chapters, and serves on the editorial boards of 12 major cardiovascular journals. Furthermore, he served as chair of the AHA Guidelines Commi ee on the management of hypertension pa ents with ischaemic heart disease. Professor Rosendorff has had visi ng professorships at Yale University, University of California, San Francisco, and NSERM/Hôpital Lariboisiere, Paris. He is now the Vice-Chairman in the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Chairman of Medicine at the Bronx VA Hospital in New York City. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians. He is also the recipient of the Interna onal Academy of Cardiology's Walter Bleifeld Memorial Award for Dis nguished Contribu on to Clinical Research, amongst other awards.
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Professor Duncan Mitchell Head of the Department of Physiology 1987 – 1990
Professor Duncan Mitchell was originally educated as a physicist, comple ng his BSc, MSc and PhD (co-supervised by Professor Cyril Wyndham) at Wits. He pursued postdoctoral studies at the Na onal Ins tute for Medical Research in London, where he studied techniques for uncovering underlying mechanisms of somatosensory sensa ons, including that of pain.
Oppenheimer Fellowship Award. He has also received the Bri sh Associa on Medal of the South African Associa on for the Advancement of Science (1980), and was one winner of the Four Outstanding Young South Africans award (1980). He was also awarded the Gold Medal from the Mine Ven la on Society of South Africa (1972), as well as a second Gold Medal of the Zoological Society of South Africa (2000). Professor Mitchell was ul mately also awarded his DSc honoris causa by Wits. He has also served on mul ple commi ees and had membership with many pres gious groups, including the Physiological Society United Kingdom, American Physiology Society, European Society Compara ve Physiology and Biochemistry, Medical Research Council, the Na onal Research Founda on, the CSIR, the Council of the Royal Society of South Africa, and the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (of which he is a founder member). He is an Honorary Fellow of the Physiology Society of Southern Africa.
Following his postdoctoral fellowship, in 1975, Professor Mitchell returned to South Africa to become a Senior Lecturer. In 1976, he was appointed Professor of Physiology. Whilst with the Department of Physiology, he founded the Brain Func on Research Unit, which he also directed. Professor Mitchell's leadership led the group to interna onal recogni on and it con nues to be recognised for its research in ecophysiology and ecophysiology in the face of climate change, fever and temperature physiology, pain physiology, and sleep physiology – all of which have been greatly contributed to by Professor Mitchell over the course of his career.
Professor Mitchell is an Emeritus Professor of Physiology at Wits and Honorary Professorial Research Fellow of the BFRG. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia.
Professor Mitchell is not only a phenomenal researcher, but also an esteemed teacher. He has won the Daubenton Prize for teaching and the PV Tobias/Convoca on Dis nguished Teachers Award. He has supervised more than 40 masters' and doctoral candidates. Furthermore, the Duncan Mitchell Prize for Physiology Honours was established on occasion of Professor Mitchell's 60th birthday and is awarded to the most dis nguished honours graduate each year. Duncan is an NRF A1-rated researcher and has won numerous accolades, including the pres gious Harry THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY
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HEADS OF SCHOOL Professor Johann Ha ngh was born and schooled in Johannesburg. Therea er, he served in the Na onal Service. When embarking on his studies, he thought he would s ck to his family tradi on and study medicine. However, he Professor soon discovered that his Johann Hattingh interest lay in basic Head of the sciences, rather than in Department of General Physiology clinical sciences. Thus, 1978 to 1993 a er two years in medical school, he redirected his studies and began undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in physiology and biochemistry.
Preceding the recruitment of his brother (Duncan Mitchell) in 1975, Professor Graham Mitchell obtained his PhD in 1977, and was by that me a lecturer in physiology at Wits. In 1981, he obtained his DVSc from the University of Pretoria.
Professor Graham Mitchell Head of the Department of Physiology 1991 – 2000
During many years of physiological research (and some less physiological scien fic contribu ons under the pseudonym of I. Seria), he contributed to a wide variety of physiological work, o en focusing on arterial func on and thermoregula on. He has done as much research on African mammals, including the giraffe.
He spent some me lecturing at the University of Johannesburg (then Rand Afrikaans University) before accep ng a senior lecturing post at Wits Medical School.
Professor Graham Mitchell made a great contribu on to the internal design and rigor of the School of Physiology's courses, with a par cular emphasis on our modes of assessment, which are s ll used, largely unchanged, today.
Professor Ha ngh was appointed the Head of the Department of General Physiology, aged only 33. His leadership was felt in all aspects of the school: in teaching, administra on and in research.
Professor Mitchell served as an Ac ng Head of the Department of General Physiology (1995) and as the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits.
Professor Ha ngh's research interest was body fluids. He had high aspira ons: he entered the field of body fluids in large mammals (specifically elephants, buffalo and giraffe), which was a largely unknown aspect of body fluids research.
A er many produc ve years at Wits University, Professor Graham Mitchell was appointed as Visi ng Professor in the Physiology Department at the University of Bristol, UK. There, he introduced new teaching innova ons, whilst s ll conduc ng research with collabora ve teams in South Africa. In 2003, Professor Graham Mitchell became the Head of the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming. There, his research entailed thermoregula on in the pronghorn. Professor Graham Mitchell is an Honorary Professor
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in the Veterinary Wildlife Unit at Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria. He is also an Emeritus Professor at the University of Wyoming.
As a direct result of the strong influence Professor Laburn has had on the history and success of the School of Physiology, the Helen Laburn Research Prize is awarded annually to a staff member of the School for outstanding research performance. Her teaching of research methodology and mentorship to students is strongly felt by members of the School of Physiology, and she guided many members of the School to world-class academic success on an interna onal scale.
Professor Helen Laburn was born in Johannesburg and received her BSc, BSc Honours and PhD from Wits University. She then entered into what would become a dis nguished career in research. Her research areas included the physiology and Professor pathophysiology of Helen Laburn temperature regula on Head of School and fever. In par cular, 2000 – 2006 she was involved in pioneering research into the physiology of the foetus, with specific reference to foetal thermoregula on, measured by radiotelemetry. She was the first to publish records of body temperatures of both mother and foetus through the birth process. Professor Laburn was a member of many dis nguished socie es: she was a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, an Honorary Fellow of the Physiology Society of Southern Africa, and – for many years – the only South African who was a foreign member of the Physiological Society (London). She also served two terms on the Thermal Union of Physiological Sciences. Furthermore, she co-founded the School's Brain Func on Research Group with Professor Duncan Mitchell, and served as its Deputy Director. In 2006, Professor Laburn made history when she became the first woman to hold the posi on of Execu ve Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits. Therea er, in 2011, Professor Laburn took the role of Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research for the university. THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY
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HEADS OF SCHOOL A er being born and educated (school years, BSc and MSc) in England, Professor David Gray took up his first job as a research scien st at the Na onal Ins tute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mill Hill, London, where he was involved in research on Professor parathyroid hormone David Gray physiology. Therea er, Head of School in 1981, he moved to 2006 – 2015 Germany to work at the Kerckhoff Ins tute for Clinical Research in Bad Nauheim (a Max-Planck Ins tute) to inves gate the endocrine control of salt and fluid balance, primarily in birds.
Professor Daniels received his BSc in Biochemistry and Botany in 1983 from the University of the Western Cape. Therea er, he completed his MSc (Medical Biochemistry) in 1988 and his PhD (Chemical Pathology) in Professor 1993. He completed William Daniels postdoctoral studies at Head of School the University of Texas 2016 – present Health Science Center in San Antonio. Professor Daniels also has an MBA in Business Administra on, which he completed in 2003, from the University of Stellenbosch. He also received a Commonwealth Research Fellowship, allowing him to spend me at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Ins tute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK.
In 1986, Professor Gray was awarded a scholarship to complete his PhD at the University of Port Elizabeth where he researched osmoregula on in sea birds. In 1992, Professor Gray returned to South Africa and, a er two years spent at Rhodes University, he joined the Department of General Physiology. In 1996, a er the amalgama on of the two Wits physiology departments, his research shi ed from avian osmoregula on to avian thermal biology, with a par cular focus on the febrile response in birds.
Professor Daniels has held numerous appointments, including senior scien st in the Department of Chemical Pathology at Tygerberg Hospital (1986 to 1996). He served as Head of the Division of Medical Physiology at the University of Stellenbosch (1996 to 2007, and therea er the Dean and Head of the School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences at the University of KwaZulu Natal.
Throughout the course of his career, he has worked with esteemed physiologists, including John Parsons, Eckhart Simon Ted Hammel and Theunis Erasmus. Furthermore, Professor Gray has collaborated with colleagues in Australia and Canada and has published over 100 research ar cles in interna onal journals.
Professor Daniels has been part of a number of professional socie es: he was the Secretary-General of the Society of Neuroscien sts of Africa (SONA), a member of the Interna onal Affairs Commi ee member of the Society for Neurocience (SfN), and as a Council Member of the Interna onal Brain Research Organisa on (IBRO). He has published over 100 scien fic ar cles on his research, which entails using animal models to study the pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric diseases. More specifically, his research has looked at addic on, neurodegenera ve disorders (Parkinson's
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disease and Alzheimer's disease), epilepsy, stress and anxiety-related disorders, behavioural neuroscience and neuroproteomics. He has also looked at HIVassociated neurocogni ve disorders.
Professor Clifford Woolf completed his medical degree as well as his PhD at Wits University. Therea er, he moved to the UK and worked at University College London for 20 years, the la er part of which he served as a Professor of Neurobiology. There, in Clifford Woolf 1983, he described – for the first me – what is now known as central sensi sa on. This finding has provided a mechanis c basis for mul ple common pain syndromes.
OTHER DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI FROM THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY Professor Antony studied a BSc Honours at University College Dublin and then did his PhD through Trinity College Dublin. He completed Habilita on at the University of Berne. He then embarked on Antony Wheatley postdoctoral studies at the University of Cape Town with Professor Lionel Opie.
In 1997, Professor Woolf became the first incumbent of the Richard J Kitz Chair of Anaesthesia Research at Harvard Medical School. Here, he established the Neural Plas city Research Group in the Department of Anaesthesia and Cri cal Care at the Massachuse s General Hospital. In 2007, he became the director of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Boston Children's Hospital. He also became a Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member of the department of Neurobiology. Professor Woolf also served as a codirector of the neuroscience programme of the Harvard Stem Cell Ins tute from 2013 to 2018. In 2015, he was appointed to the Board of Scien fic Councillors of the Na onal Ins tute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke. He is an honorary fellow of the Irish College of Anaesthe sts.
Professor Wheatley held a lecturing posi on at Wits during the mid-1980's in the Circula on Research Unit. He has also held academic posi ons at the University of Berne, Switzerland (as a senior research fellow) and the University of Otago in New Zealand (as personal chair). Finally, in 2009, he returned to Ireland to join NUI Galway as Chair of Physiology. Professor Wheatley's research interests examine microcircula on of organs, including the liver, kidney, pancreas, skeletal muscle and skin. He also looks at the role of innate immunity in liver regenera on and liver injury, as well as the effects of psychological stress on liver disease.
Professor Woolf has published over 280 research papers, has 30 issued patents and has founded five companies. He has led research into pathogenesis and maintenance of pain through a number of neuron-based changes, linked polymorphisms in human genes with the risk of developing pain, and looked at new ways of phenotyping pain in pa ents.
Professor Wheatley has wri en and edited a number of book chapters and has published over 85 scien fic journal ar cles. He is also a member of the Interna onal Society for Hepa c Sinusoidal Research, for which he served as president from 2017 un l 2019.
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Professor Woolf has won a number of accolades during his studies and career, including the William
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OTHER DISTINGUISHED
Cullen Medal (for most dis nguished BSc graduate in the Faculty of Science); the South African Medical Associa on Medal (for the most dis nguished medical graduate); the Dis nguished Young Inves gator Award, Interna onal Associa on for the Study of Pain; the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pain Research Award; the Spine Society of Europe Medal; the Bonica Medal; the American Society of Anaesthesia Award for Excellence in Research; the Wall Medal, Royal College of Anaesthe sts; The Bonica Lecture, Interna onal Associa on for the Study of Pain; the Javits Award NINDS; the American Neurological Associa on F.E. Bennet Memorial Lectureship Award; the Magnes Medal Israel; the Reeve-Irvine Medal; and the Gill Dis nguished Scien st Award.
Professor Colin Shapiro studied his medical degree at Wits University. However, whilst there, he chose to do an BSc Honours degree with the Department of Physiology in sleep physiology. Once his science and medical Colin Shapiro degrees were complete, he embarked on his PhD in sleep physiology at the University of Edinburgh. He later became a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh. During this me, although s ll living in Scotland on a permanent basis, he developed the ďŹ rst sleep laboratory in Africa in the Department of Physiology at Wits.
Doctor David James Keegan completed his MSc at Wits in 1972 and therea er undertook his PhD, which he completed in 1978. His doctoral research was on aspects of assimila on of sugar in Rouse us argyp acus.
Professor Shapiro immigrated to Canada, where he began work as a Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Canada). Furthermore, he is the Director of the Neuropsychiatry Program at the Toronto Western Hospital and the Director of the Sleep and Alertness Clinic.
James Keegan
Dr Keegan was part of the School of Den stry, and served as Ac ng Head of the Department of General Physiology, during 1992 and 1993.
Professor Shapiro has an impressive research record, with over 200 publica ons. He has also published 12 books, which range from academic forensic aspects of sleep to children's books on sleep. He has supervised over 50 fellows and postgraduate students. His research interest is largely the way in which sleep is altered in psychiatric disease, and the extent to which sleep markers are helpful in psychiatry. At present, he is a Professor of Psychiatry and Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto, the Director of the Sleep and Alertness Clinic and Sleep Research Laboratory at Toronto Western Hospital, and Director of the Youthdale Child and Adolescent Sleep Clinic in Toronto (which he was responsible for opening). Professor Shapiro founded the Bri sh Sleep Society in 1989, and he founded the Interna onal
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ALUMNI FROM THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY Neuropsychiatric Associa on in 1998.
Massachuse s General Hospital, a book on imaging in drug development, as well as a book on migraines. Furthermore, he has over 250 publica ons to his name.
Doctor David Borsook began his studies at Wits, where he obtained a medical degree as well as his PhD. Following his internship, which he completed at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, he began his residency in the David Borsook Neurology Department at Boston City Hospital. He later became a Professor of Anaesthesiology at Boston Children's Hospital.
Professor Hyam Isaacs held a medical degree and two science degrees from Wits University. He joined the Department of Physiology as a partme lecturer in 1962, where he taught pathophysiology to medical students. In Hyam Isaacs 1970, his interest in neurology led him to set up the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory in the then Department of Physiology, which he headed un l 2000.
Dr Borsook is the Director of the Pain and Imaging Neuroscience Group at the Boston Children's Hospital, the Massachuse s General Hospital (where he also directed the Pain Centre for five years), and the McLean Hospital. He has also been part of the World Health Organisa on's Cancer Pain Ini a ve in China. Furthermore, he established a research program – with the help of non-profit organisa ons – to inves gate the use of fMRI's in pain and analgesia.
Dr Borsook is a part of the Medicine and Neuroendocrinology Fellowship at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Neurology Fellowship at the Massachuse s General Hospital.
As a qualified neurologist, he also held a posi on in the Wits University Department of Medicine. It is perhaps for his clinical discoveries that he is most well-known, par cularly the discovery of a new neuromuscular syndrome during the 1960's – aptly named “The Isaacs Syndrome” or “Isaacs-Mertens Syndrome”. Furthermore, he developed and introduced techniques for predic ng muscle malfunc on in inherited myopathies. One such example was a predic ve test that could be used in pa ents who were suspected of being suscep ble to Malignant Hyperthermia. Furthermore, Professor Isaacs was widely recognised as an interna onal expert on myotonia, the muscle/nerve motor plate and hyperpyrexia under anaesthesia.
Dr Borsook's research centres around understanding neuro plas city in pain and analgesia, using neuroimaging in both human and animal research. He inadvertently discovered a novel drug for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain, which is now in Phase II trials. He has edited three books, including the first pain treatment manual at
Professor Isaacs made major contribu ons to scien fic literature in his field: he published over 90 journal ar cles and several book chapters. He was frequently invited to lecture or chair interna onal academic workshops. He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh), and was a founder member of the World Muscle Society.
In 2002, Dr Borsook founded Descartes Therapeu cs Inc., a biotechnology company with the objec ve of using fMRI's in drug advancement. Therea er, in 2004, he established an ac ve imaging programne that incorporated the first academic-industry consor a on the use of imaging in drug development.
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OTHER DISTINGUISHED Doctor Graham Sher studied towards a medical degree and a PhD at Wits during 1981 and 1987. Therea er, he specialised in haematology at the University of Toronto.
Doctor David Maitland grew up admiring nature in the seaside town of St Andrew's in Scotland. Thus, he inevitably developed a love of nature, which inspired him to develop a deeper understanding of the lives of animals. Dr Maitland therefore David Maitland studied a BSc and BSc honours in Zoology at the University of St Andrew's. Therea er, he completed a PhD at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He later had a successful academic career at Wits.
He served as a physician and scien st on staff at Graham Sher the Toronto Hospital and faculty at the University of Toronto. In 1998, Dr Sher began his career with the Canadian Blood serviced as its vice-president of medical, scien fic and clinical management. In June 2001, he was appointed as the CEO of the Canadian Blood Services, a posi on he s ll holds.
In 1992, Dr Maitland a ained an accolade that is on any scien st's 'bucket list': he published an ar cle in the pres gious journal, Nature. The ar cle inves gated a certain species of larva that uses jumping (rather than crawling) as their mode of locomo on, par cularly when vulnerable to preda on. This par cular larva species is the only known example of a so -bodied, legless organism that jumps.
Dr Sher is a recognized expert in transfusion medicine and scien st. He sits on a number of blood system and healthcare-related boards and advisory bodies and consults interna onally on blood systems transforma on. He is also a sought-a er speaker on na onal and interna onal levels. Along with blood system governance, Dr Sher is also involved in health system performance improvement and policy development.
In 2006, Dr Maitland became a wildlife photographer on a permanent basis. His photography is wellknown, and he has won awards, most notably European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 for his expose of the Bush-meat trade in Africa. He has also won the “One World” Award in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, awards in environmental photojournalism (including POYi 65, PDN Photoannual), and Nature and Science (Sony World, Interna onal PhotoAwards, BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Nature's Best)
Dr Sher is a founding member of the Alliance of Blood Operators. He is also the first interna onal director on the board of the AABB (formerly known as the American Associa on of Blood Banks), for which he served as president in the 2013/14 term.
On the right is one of his photographs, en tled “Who eats Who?” THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY
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ALUMNI FROM THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY Doctor Ernst Jokl was a German-American pioneer of sports medicine.
A er matricula ng, Professor Nerina Savage went on to study her BSc (Chemistry and Zoology), MSc (Chemistry) – both with dis nc on - and then completed her PhD in Biochemistry (Cantab).
A er a ending Johannes Gymnasium in Wroclaw, he went on to study internal medicine and neurology at the universi es of Wroclaw Ernst Franz Jokl and Berlin. However, Dr Jokl was Jewish and, as a result of the rise of power of the Na onal Socialists, he emigrated to South Africa in 1933.
Professor Savage has Nerina Savage won a number of accolades, including Junior Captain Sco Medal (best student in Zoology), Postgraduate Exhibi on Scholarship, Thurle Research Scholarship, Tobias Medal, and Convoca on Dis nguished Teaching Award in the Faculty of Medicine. She has authored over 75 journal ar cles and numerous abstracts of conferences.
Dr Jokl spent many years as a senior lecturer in the Department of Physiology at Wits. He is widely recognised for his work in South Africa on physical educa on. Dr Jokl and his wife emphasised school physical educa on programmes and how physical educa on was important for both sexes and all races. Thus, he is widely regarded as the father of physical educa on in South Africa.
Professor Savage also has a strong record in teaching, having supervised 36 MSc and PhD students. She has also been ac vely involved with the honours course in Molecular Medicine, including marking the Research Topic Review.
In 1954, he helped found the American College of Sports Medicine, and in 1960 was a founder of UNESCO's Interna onal Council of Sport and Physical Educa on.
She has held several posi ons, including a Research Officer at the CSIR Nutri on Research Unit (Wits), and she has served as Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Professor at different stages in the departments of Physiology, Physiological Biochemistry and Medical Biochemistry. She has also served as a part- me specialist in the Nuclear Medicine Department at the Johannesburg Hospital. Professor Savage served as Ac ng Head of Department at intermi ent periods during the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's. She has been a member of second- and third-year admissions Commi ees and the Dean's Advisory Commi ee on Admissions in the Faculty of Medicine. She was also a member of the facul es of medicine and science, and the postgraduate Awards Commi ees of Faculty of Science.
A er his me in South Africa, Dr Jokl immigrated to the USA, where he became a faculty member of the University of Kentucky. Whilst there, he was named professor of neurology and sports medicine. He was also named a dis nguished professor in 1964 and later a dis nguished Emeritus Professor (1995). He directed the university's Exercise Research Laboratory and a consultant and team physician for the US Olympic Commi ee. Dr Jokl is regarded as one of the leading sports physicians of the 20th century. He was a pioneer in his field of science: he published 261 scien fic journal ar cles and authored and/or edited 27 books.
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Professor Savage is an Honorary Professorial Research Fellow in the department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology at Wits.
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OTHER DISTINGUISHED Professor Keith Klugman (an MD and PhD neurochemistry) specialises in infec ous diseases and microbiology and is recognised as having made major contribu ons to pneumococcal research. He has published more Keith Klugman than 600 scien fic papers, which have been cited more than 30 000 mes. He credits the roles of his mentors and, in par cular his supervision by Professor Graham Mitchell, leading him to doing his PhD in the physiology department in tandem with his medical degree.
Doctor Theodore (Teddy) Gillman graduated with his medical degree in 1941, and also completed an MSc degree, both of which were through Wits. He was a histologist by training and histology con nued to play a role in his publica ons Theodore throughout the course of 'Teddy' Gillman his career. Dr Gillman became a lecturer in clinical pathology at Wits. Although he was technically part of the anatomy department, he was also involved in the physiology department, par cularly as his brother (Professor Joe Gillman) was the head of the physiology department for a me. In fact, Dr Teddy Gillman was acknowledged for work done in physiology in the late 1940's and early 1950's.
Professor Klugman is the Emeritus William H. Foege chair of Global Health at the Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Furthermore, he is an honorary professor in the Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand.
In 1951, he was appointed Professor of Physiology in Durban and, whilst he was there, he built up a large and ac ve department. He not only re-planned the physical architecture, but also organised the courses in physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology.
Professor Klugman is a past president of the Interna onal Society of Infec ous Diseases and a past chair of the Interna onal Board of the American Society for Microbiology. He is a member of the Na onal Academy of Medicine in the USA, and has chaired or served commi ees for the World Health Organisa on, the Wellcome Trust and the Centers for Disease Control and Preven on.
Dr Gillman's research interests were broad, and he published over 100 scien fic papers. He published on understanding arterial biology in order to understand arterial disease, concepts on wound healing, lymph studies, and cancer research. In 1945, Dr Gillman also co-authored Sydney Brenner's first publica on. He also frequently published work on nutri on with his brother, Joe including the book, “Perspec ves on human malnutri on”, which highlighted research on iron deposi on in the livers of malnourished adults. He also paid close a en on to, and spoke at conferences about, the effects of different socioeconomic statuses on nutri on status in the popula on.
At present, Professor Klugman is at the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda on, where he is a director of the Pneumonia programme with the aim of reducing deaths from pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, and meningi s in children. He is also a co-director of the Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Discovery & Tools programme.
In 1960, Dr Gillman succeeded Sir Alan Drury as Head of the Experimental Pathology Department.
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Martin Bobrow
Professor Mar n Bobrow was born and educated in South Africa. He began an illustrious career at Wits, where he studied his BSc (1957) and BSc honours (1958) in Experimental Physiology. He also completed a medical degree (1963) as well as a Doctor of
Academy of Medical Sciences (of which he was a Founder Fellow). In the 1995 New Year Honours, Professor Bobrow was made a Commander of the Order of the Bri sh Empire (CBE) 'For services to Science'. Professor Bobrow has published over 300 research ar cles and has over 15 000 cita ons. His research interests involve methods for iden fying human chromosomes, specifically in interspecific hybrid cell lines. He has also been involved in gene mapping using molecular markers, molecular diagnos cs of inherited diseases (he contributed to the iden fica on of the dystrophin gene, DMD). He is also involved in governance systems for responsible use of large clinical genomic datasets.
Science in Medicine (1979). A er he qualified, Professor Bobrow le South Africa and joined the MRC Popula on Gene cs Research Unit at Oxford, and therea er the Department of Gene cs in Oxford as MRC External Staff, and as a Consultant to the Oxford Health Authority. In 1981, he was appointed Professor of Human Gene cs at the University of Amsterdam and, two years later, appointed Prince Philip Professor of Paediatric Research at Guys Hospital London. In 1995, he was appointed Professor of Medical Gene cs at the University of Cambridge. He is an Emeritus Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge. Professor Bobrow was a member of the MRC Council from 1988 un l 1994, and also a Governor of the Wellcome Trust from 1996 un l 2007. He served as Na onal Chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign from 1995 un l 2011, but was associated with the campaign from 1980. Professor Bobrow has worked with many advisory commi ees, and he chaired the Commi ee on the Medical Aspects of Radia on in the Environment from 1985 un l 1992. He was also a part of the Nuffield Council of Bioethics from 1996 un l 2003, where he served as Deputy Chair for the last three years of his involvement. He was also a Non-Execu ve Director of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust from 2004 un l 2014. He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, and a Fellow of the
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OTHER DISTINGUISHED Professor Sonia Walker (nee Highman) graduated from Wits with a BSc Honours in 1939 and an MSc in 1942. She was appointed a lecturer in the Department of Physiology whilst comple ng the la er. She obtained a Union Sonia Walker Government Research Grant, which led her to complete her PhD at the Dunn Nutri onal Laboratory in Cambridge.
served as the President of the American Aging Associa on for the 2013/14 term. Professor Buffenstein is now a senior Principal Inves gator at Calico, which is a Google biotech spinoff in San Francisco. Professor Buffenstein has published over 120 research ar cles. Her research focuses on compara ve vertebrate physiology, energe cs, cancer biology, and aging. Although she has worked with a number of mammalian species (including marsupials, bats, subterranean mammals and primates), her most well-known work is on naked mole-rats. Specifically, she inves gates aging in naked mole-rats, and why they live for so much longer than other rodents. Furthermore, she has inves gated the way in which naked mole-rats break the law of aging that applies to other mammalian species. A key goal of her research is to determine molecular mechanisms that modulate lifespan and 'healthspan' of a species, which may someday lead to therapeu c targets to slow the aging process down and delay the onset of age-associated disability and diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
She returned to South Africa and to the Department of Physiology in 1965 as a senior lecturer. She subsequently became an associate professor, in 1971.
Rochelle Buffenstein
Professor Buffenstein graduated at the University of Cape Town with a BSc Honours and a PhD in Physiology and Zoology. Therea er, she spent 10 years (1987 to 1997) at Wits Medical School, where she was a senior lecturer. It was here that she pioneered the use of the naked mole-rat as a model of bio-gerontological interest.
Doctor Mel Siff completed a BSc honours (applied mathema cs), MSc (applied mathema cs), and a PhD (biomechanics) – hence his involvement with the School of Physiology. He spent 30 years as a staff member Mel Siff at Wits as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mechanical Engineering. His teaching du es were in applied mathema cs, biomechanics and professional communica on. However, he also lectured physiotherapy students and physical educa on students at mul ple universi es across South Africa. He also held Headships in Sports
A er her me at Wits, she was a professor in the Department of Biology at The City College of New York for a further 10 years, from 1997 un l 2007. Professor Buffenstein then served as a professor in the Department of Physiology, as well as a track leader for the Biology of Aging Graduate Programme, at the Barshop Ins tute for Aging and Longevity Studies, at the University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio. Professor Buffenstein also THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY
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ALUMNI FROM THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY Administra on and Communica on Studies Divisions at Wits. Dr Siff devised and co-ordinated Con nuing Educa on Fitness Instruc on courses, and was the first to introduce cer fied Sports Massage courses at any university in South Africa.
Dr Siff's other memberships included the Technical Commi ee of the Australian Strength & Condi oning Associa on, the NSCA, the Coaching Associa on of Canada, the US Weightli ing Federa on, and the Australian Coaching Council.
He presented numerous papers at over 100 conferences (including mul ple conferences of the NSCA in the USA and Australia, and IDEA in the USA, and the Exercise Associa on in England) in sports science, sports medicine, physiology, physical educa on, ergonomics, engineering, psychology, chiroprac ce, communica on, and linguis cs. He authored over 150 papers and books. One such book was the major textbook, 'Supertraining – Special Strength Training for Sports Excellence', with Russian scien st, Professor Yuri Verkhoshansky. One of his areas of interest was in designing low-cost biomechanical research, training and rehabilita on devices, such that less affluent countries could conduct sophis cated work that might otherwise have been limited for them due to financial restraints. Thus, in collabora on with his colleagues in the engineering department, he established the first biomechanics facility, and comprehensively equipped gym, at Wits.
Doctor Siff was academically and spor ngly gi ed; however, he also authored and co-produced the rock opera, 'Genesis Won'.
Dr Siff was manager-coach for the South African Weightli ing team (1983 to 1984) and received mul ple awards in Olympic weightli ing even up to na onal level. He was also the longest serving Chairman of the Wits Sports Council (1971 to 1978) and was largely responsible for establishing its administra on. He was Vice-Chairman of the South African Weightli ing Union, Chairman of Weightli ing, Karate, and Trampoline Clubs at Wits, and the na onal Chairman of the combined South African Universi es Weightli ing Associa on. He himself represented the university in karate, trackand-field, trampolining and cricket. He was also a qualified weightli ing referee, and an interna onal judge in compe ve aerobics. Dr Siff has consulted for sports organisa ons, teams, athletes and coaches all over the world and in a vast number of diverse sports.
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OTHER DISTINGUISHED Professor Shane Maloney began his career as a researcher doing his BSc honours and PhD in Zoology, examining kidney func on and thermal physiology of the emu.
has held the posi on of Head of School of Human Sciences at the University of Western Australia. Professor Sydney Brenner began what would be many years of a dis nguished career in biology when he began his medical degree at Wits at just 15 years old. Whilst in his second year, he branched off medicine (as he would have been too young to Sydney Brenner prac ce medicine at his projected finishing age), and did a BSc and MSc. He did ul mately return to medicine and obtained this degree in 1951.
More recently, he researches compara ve Shane Maloney physiology, mainly in mammals and birds. He inves gates physiological mechanisms that allow organisms to adapt to environmental stressors and thermal physiology, with a focus on brain temperature. This is par cularly relevant in the face of climate change. Professor Maloney also conducts research on body temperature in humans, examining adapta ons to heat and cold and the impacts of circadian and ultradian changes in body temperature on health and performance. He has also conducted research with the University of California, researching Adelie penguin reproduc ve energe cs at Palmer Sta on, Antarc ca. Professor Maloney has published over 240 scien fic ar cles.
Professor Brenner was awarded an 1851 Exhibi on Scholarship, allowing him to complete his PhD at Oxford University. It was there, during his days at Oxford, that he would join research in DNA, molecular biology and developmental gene cs. Professor Brenner was a lecturer in the Department of Physiology early on in his career (1954 to 1956), where began trying to find a bacteriophage system that could be used to solve gene c code, as well as con nued some theore cal aspects of gene c code.
Although based in Australia, Professor Maloney has had strong es to the physiology department at Wits for 20 years and is a Professorial Honorary Research Fellow at Wits. His other interna onal affilia ons include the USA (University of Wyoming, with Professor Graham Mitchell), Germany (University of Giessen, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University and Max Planck Ins tute for Ornithology), Saudi Arabia (Na onal Wildlife Research Centre). In 2013, he was invited to present at the Interna onal Union of Physiological Sciences in Birmingham. Furthermore, he has been invited to submit two reviews in the journal, Physiology.
Professor Brenner then joined Cambridge University, where he worked for 20 years with Francis Crick. Together, they began research that led them to present the concept that an amino acid is based off a three nucleo de sequence of RNA. They also demonstrated the Uracil-Adenine-Guanine 'stop' codon (a term in fact coined by Professor Brenner). Professor Brenner won his first Laskar Award for the co-discovery of mRNA and that the sequence of nucleo des in mRNA determines amino acid sequence in protein. However, it cannot be disputed that 2002 was the peak of Professor Brenner's career: he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work with Caenorhabdi s
In 1997, Professor Maloney held the posi on of lecturer at the University of New South Wales under the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. However, since 1999, Professor Maloney
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ALUMNI FROM THE SCHOOL OF PHYSIOLOGY Elegans, which became an important model organism for gene cs, neurobiology and developmental biology research. Furthermore, C. Elegans was the first animal for which the en re cell lineage and neuronal lining were known. This pres gious work led to a closely-related nematode being named Caenorhabda s brenneri, in honour of Professor Brenner.
In 1950, he took up a post as a lecturer in the Department of Physiology at Wits. Three years later, he was promoted to senior lecturer. He ul mately served as Chair of the Sub-Department of Physiological Chemistry. Professor Hepburn was born and educated in the USA. He received his BS degree at Louisiana State University and his PhD at the University of Kansas, where he developed a passion for insect physiology. A er comple ng his doctoral Randall Hepburn studies, he went to do a research fellowship at the University of Bristol, where his passion for insects was amplified through work with the influence of Howard Hinton.
Professor Brenner founded the Molecular Sciences Ins tute at Berkeley, California. He also became associated with numerous ins tutes, such as the Salk Ins tute, the Singapore Biomedical Research Council, and the Howard Hughs Medical Ins tute. He was also appointed president of the Okinawa Ins tute of Science and Technology and held a posi on on the Board of Scien fic Governors at the Scripps Research Ins tute. Professor Paul Levy matriculated from King Edward VII School and then began his ter ary educa on with Wits, which would ul mately turn into decades of study and later research with the university. In 1946, he graduated with his MSc and won the James Moir Paul Levy Memorial Award of the South African Chemical Ins tute for his thesis. He also served as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at this me.
Professor Holton joined the Department of Physiology at Wits and spent over 15 years with the department. Here, he had one of the most prolific authoring careers in the department's history, publishing many scien fic ar cles and books. Although he was a 'bug man', he also taught medical students whilst at Wits, and many students took a year off in order to study insects with Professor Hepburn. Five such students won Rhodes Scholarships to con nue their academic studies at Oxford, despite originally choosing to study medicine.
In 1946, a er gradua ng with his MSc, he was awarded an Overseas Scholarship by the Royal Commission for the Exhibi on of 1851, which he held at Magdalen College, Oxford. Here, he worked under Nobel Laureate, Sir Robert Robinson.
Following his work at Wits, Professor Hepburn moved to Rhodes University, where he had access to the unique Cape honeybee. Furthermore, Professor Hepburn had many interna onal collabora ons and studied not only African honeybees, but also Asian honeybees. His research con nued to be a success.
In 1949, he was appointed tutorial assistant in Organic Chemistry, and he graduated with his doctorate. Professor Levy remained at Oxford for postdoctoral studies, holding a Carnegie postdoctoral research grant.
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Members of the School of
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Physiology | September 2019
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CONGRATULATIONS on 100 years of highquality Physiology teaching! Here's to the next 100 years!! – Dr Janine Donaldson I wish the Wits School of Physiology a great 100 more years to come punctuated with state of the art teaching, research
Well wishes for the School of Physiology, on occasion of 100 years of teaching excellence
and community engagement – Prof Eliton Chivandi Well done for 100 years of excellence! – Dr Karine Scheuermaier 100 years of excellence indeed! Well done to the team past and present! – Dr Antonia Wadley Congratula ons! Here's to many more years to come – Doctor Vernice Peterson An amazing place in the Wits community.... principally because of amazing people, whom over the years have dedicated their lives to the science and teaching of physiology. – Dr Demetri Veliotes
Wishes from current postgraduates: Rise and shine!! – Bulelani Mazizi Congrats on the centenary milestone. A giant to be reckoned! – Pallo Madisha
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For the great work that the school does. More years are definitely coming. – Rixile Mahlaule Congratula ons to the team! Wishing you many more years! – Andani Ratshinanga Physiology is the most interes ng subject
This booklet was written and edited by Anne Ioannides (PhD candidate) and Professor Warrick McKinon to commemorate the centenary celebration of the School of Physiology.
for passionate people not for weaker once. The research conducted in physiology cut cross all the career and other health and non-heath field. A very good medical officer must love Physiology. Well Done – Michael Sekhotha Congratula ons School of Physiology!!!! I'm proud to be a product of such excellence! – Nonhlanhla Mthembu Congratula ons and I am proud to be a product of this great school. – Yusuf Kaoje Big Congratula ons to all the staff and students. – Omotayo Eluwole Congratula ons on a century of excellence! – Bongubuhle Mlambo Congratula ons on the 100 years! Looking forward to the next century – Kirsten Redman Congratula ons – Zola Nkwanyana
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