Closure of Faculty Day – 21 August 2019

The largely anticipated Faculty Day event at the Faculty of Health Sciences ended on 21 August 2019. The critical aspect for most of the event attendees was the lessons learnt from fellow experts. The Faculty Day plays a vital role in terms of establishing networks and forms a synergy within the health fraternity. "This was a great experience for me and our colleagues that manned the tables, as well as for the students. It gives the students in the faculty an opportunity to learn from published research," said Cathy Bezuidenhout, Project Manager from the Research Centre for Maternal, Fetal, Newborn and Child Health Care Strategies at the University of Pretoria. Sanja Nel, master student in Dietetics attest the benefit, “as a part time, distance learning student, faculty day is a fun opportunity to meet up with fellow students and find out what they are working on.”

Top incumbents are satisfied about the outcome and hope that the event goals were achieved. "A few established researchers are continuing with their exceptional work. The presentation by Prof Mashudu Tshifularo was informative and directed attendees towards the future of excellent research and innovation," said Prof Mahmood Ally, Acting Deputy Dean in Research and Postgraduate Matters. Senior fellow Dr Siza Sesane appreciated the achievement of the set goal by fellow researchers. "I work very closely with the ENT department and Prof Tshifularo’s interest in Paediatric ENT is amazing. He is very inspiring and reminds me that every one of us can achieve anything if we put our minds’ and focus on what we want to achieve," said Dr Sesane. 

Students engaged Prof Tshifularo actively with regard to his world-first middle-ear transplant done at Steve Biko Academic Hospital on 13 March 2019. Prof Tshifularo successfully performed a transplant surgery that allowed a 35-year-old male recipient, whose middle ear was completely damaged in a car accident, to hear again. The procedure effectively replaces the hammer, anvil and stirrup – the ossicles (smallest bones in the body) that make up the middle ear. 3D-printing technology was used to print these bones, which were then used in the surgery to reconstruct the ossicles. Prof Tshifularo commended students for their zealousness. "The academic Faculty Day is one of the best events at the University to showcase the good research happening in the University, and it is good for students to hear about some of the work from teachers, lecturers and researchers. My lecture was a success because students asked questions and confirmed that they were encouraged," said Prof Tshifularo.

Young researchers, students and academics within various spheres of the Faculty of Health Sciences noted with a sense of positivity that this event paved the way and expressed the hope that the rest will follow in the future. "An important aspect of this event for our unit was the opportunity to communicate one on one with the VC and the Dean of the Faculty on a level where they were not under pressure and had time to learn about the projects and research of the research centre. We also met other researchers who would like to collaborate with us on new research projects," Cathy Bezuidenhout concluded.