Welcome to Research Matters

Story

Mass vaccination can keep this neglected disease under control

Mass vaccination campaigns that reach 70% of dogs will control and, hopefully, eventually eliminate rabies. This is the message that Prof. Darryn Knobel of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria would like us to hear.

Story

Taking the battle against disease into the family home

Prof Hugo, who is also an award-winning doctor and a member of the Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, is a passionate advocate for Community-oriented Primary Care (COPC) – a proven approach to primary care according to which healthcare is brought proactively to families and individuals where they live, work and play.

Lecture

'Human rights in a time of homophobia: An argument for equal legal protection of "sexual minorities" in Africa'

Over the last decade or so, international acceptance of 'sexual minorities' has increased significantly, reflected in the consensus that a person's sexual orientation or gender identity should not be a basis for denying him or her the equal protection of the law. In most of the African continent, a conflicting trend of formally stigmatising homosexuality has manifested itself, leading to the...

Lecture

Stem cells: Current reality and future promise

The rapidly evolving field of stem cell research continues to raise great hope among patients. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells capable of self-renewal that can differentiate into all the specialised cell types of the body when exposed to appropriate environmental cues. Adult stem cells are found in almost all tissues of the body, perhaps the best known being bone marrow, while embryonic...

Lecture

(Practical) Theology: A story of doubt and imagination

Theology as a story of doubt and imagination is to be understood in contrast to the traditional paradigm of theology as a system of propositional certainty. The construct of doubt and imagination is part and parcel of Narrative Theology and can be linked to Post-Foundational Theology. The relevance of this theological paradigm will be discussed, as a theology which
• is in touch with its own...

Lecture

'Welding - the Achilles heel of the South African manufacturing industry?'

Welding remains the most important metal joining technology available to the manufacturing industry today, with widespread application in fields as diverse as microelectronics, power generation, structural design and the petrochemical industry. While global demand for consistently high quality welds in a wide variety of advanced materials and applications continues to grow, is the South African...