Dr Abe Kasonga, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physiology, and his PhD student, Ms Cynthia Sithole, attended the European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS) Congress held in Innsbruck, Austria, from 23-25 May 2025. The ECTS Congress is a premier international event dedicated to advances in bone and mineral research, drawing top scientists and clinicians from around the globe. 

Ms Sithole presented a poster titled “Lycopene positively regulates osteoclast differentiation in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells and osteoblast mineralization in Saos-2 cells.” The work was well received by delegates and sparked interesting discussions. The ECTS Congress proved to be an enriching experience and provided informative sessions and valuable networking opportunities.

Travel to the conference was funded by the University of Pretoria VP Congress Grant, which was awarded to Dr Kasonga. The Department of Physiology commends Dr Kasonga and Ms Sithole for their outstanding representation and commitment to advancing the field of bone metabolism.