Principal Investigator:

Prof Sharon Prince, PhD

Professor in Cell Biology

Department of Human Biology

Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Cape Town

Room 6.01, Level 6, Anatomy Building

Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925

Telephone: +27-21-406 6240 (office) +27-21-406 6225 (laboratory)

Senior Scientific Officer

Dr Supratim Biswas

Room 6.05.1, Level 6, Anatomy Building

Telephone: +27-21-650 7975

Postdoctoral Fellows:

1. Dr Lucy Macharia March 2022-present

2. Dr Mohsin Khan June 2022-present

3. Dr Saif Feroz Khan May 2023-present

4. Dr Annick van Niekerk August 2023-present

5. Dr Thato Medupe August 2023-present

6. Dr Vuyo Mlaza March 2024-present

7. Dr Karabo Serala March 2024-present

Graduate students:

PhD

1. Ms Claire Bellis (MSC 2019- 2020 upgraded to PhD) 2021-present

2. Ms Carly Burmeister (MSc 2021- 2022 upgraded to PhD 2023-present (co-supervised with Dr Georgia Schaffer, ICGEB)

3. Mr Basile Roufosse 2023-present (co-supervised with Associate Professor Burgert Blom, Maastricht University, Netherlands)

4. Ms Nirvashi Autar 2023-present (co-supervised with Dr S Ngubane, Chemistry UCT)

5. Ms Oreneile Maiphetlho 2024-present

MSc

1. Ms Anjani Rama 2023-present

2. Mr Jinming Bai 2023-present

3. Ms Nosipho Msimango 2023-present (co-supervised with E/Professor Roger Hunter, Chemistry, UCT and Professor Stefan Barth, IBMS, UCT)

4. Ms Jessica Sarah Faure 2023-present (co-supervised with Prof Gregory Smith, Chemistry, UCT)

5. Ms Sidrah Palekar 2023-present (co-supervised with Prof William Ferris and Dr Tracy Kellermann, Stellenbosch University)

6. Mr Tawfeeq Khalfe 2023-present (co-supervised with A/Prof A Jardine, Chemistry, UCT)

7. Mr Michael Goldschagg 2024-present

8. Ms Jenna Mühlberg 2024-present (co-supervised with Dr Luiz Zerbini, ICGEB, Cape Town)

Honours
1. Ms Kiera Hürlimann 2024-present (co-supervised with Drs Annick Van Niekerk & Mihlali Vuyo Mlaza)

2. Qhama Maqina 2024-present (co-supervised with Prof Virna Leaner)

 

Lab Alumni:

BSc(Med)(Hons)

  1. Ms Amaal Abrahams graduated with a first class December 2002
  2. Ms Dheshnie Govender (co-supervised with Prof S.H. Kidson) graduated 2003
  3. Ms Deeya Ballim graduated with a first class December 2004
  4. Ms Kupela Clarke (co-supervised with A. Katz) graduated 2006
  5. Ms Tepa Nkumbula (co-supervised with S.H. Kidson) graduated 2006
  6. Ms Romaney Pinnock graduated with a first class December 2007
  7. Ms Nancy Laguette (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) graduated 2008
  8. Mr Viwayak Bhardway (co-supervised with Prof A. Katz) graduated 2008
  9. Mr Yoonus Abrahams (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) graduated 2010
  10. Ms Jennifer Auret (co-supervised with Prof Jeannine Heckmann) graduated 2010
  11. Ms Shannagh Hare graduated with a first class December 2011
  12. Ms Claudia Lewis graduated with a first class in December 2013
  13. Ms Courtnee Clarke (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) December 2013
  14. Ms Jenna Bleloch graduated with a first class December 2014
  15. Mr Minkyu Lee graduated with a first class December 2014
  16. Ms Danica Smuts graduated with a first class December 2014
  17. Ms Joy-Mari Buys (co-supervised with Prof Jeannine Heckmann) graduated 2014
  18. Ms Nawaal Luke (co-supervised with Prof M. Collins) graduated 2015
  19. Ms Alexandra Glover graduated with a first class in 2016
  20. Ms Kate Ross-Stewart graduated with a first class in 2016
  21. Ms Shannon Smyly graduated with a first class in 2016
  22. Ms Natasha Vangreunen graduated in 2016 (co-supervised with Prof J. Heckmann)
  23. Ms Stephanie Ncube graduated in 2016 (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins)
  24. Ms Brittany Amber Jacobs graduated with first class in 2016 (co-supervised with Dr K. Smith)
  25. Mr Saif Khan graduated with first class in 2017 (co-supervised with Dr A. Ramburan)
  26. Mr Jose de Faria graduated in 2019 (co-supervised with Dr Hapiloe Maranyane)
  27. Ms Carly Burmeister graduated with first class in 2020 (co-supervised with Mr Saif Khan)
  28. Ms Talia Gabay graduated with first class in 2021(co-supervised with Dr Alexis Mufweba)
  29. Mr Sanele Mdletshe graduated in 2022 (co-supervised with Dr Amaal Abrahams, UCT)
  30. Mr Bonga Mdidimba graduated in 2023 (co-supervised with Prof Virna Leaner UCT)

MSc

  1. Ms Henriette Uwimpuhwe (Co-supervised with Drs Heckmann and Ballo), graduated with distinction in 2009.
  2. Mr Yoonus Abrahams (co-supervised with Prof M. Collins) graduated December 2013
  3. Ms Jennifer Auret (co-supervised with Prof J. Heckmann) graduated December 2013
  4. Ms Shannagh Hare graduated with distinction 2013.
  5. Ms Danica Smuts graduated with distinction 2016.
  6. Ms Joy-Mari Buys graduated with distinction 2016 (co-supervised with Prof Jeannine Heckmann)
  7. Mr George Cooper graduated July 2017 (co-supervised with Prof A. Katz)
  8. Dr Ikponmwosa Irene graduated with distinction July 2017
  9. Mr Irwin Cassells graduated with distinction July 2017 (co-supervised with A/Profs G Smith and AT Hutton, Chemistry UCT)
  10. Ms Brittany Amber Jacobs (co-supervised with Dr Katie Smith) graduated December 2018
  11. Ms Stephanie Ncube graduated with distinction December 2019
  12. Ms Lilhe Moyakhe (co-supervised with A/Prof Jeannine Heckmann) graduated December 2019
  13. Mr Athi Welsh (co-supervised with A/Prof Greg Smith) graduated April 2020
  14. Mr Luqmaan Mohamed (co-supervised with A/Prof A Jardine, UCT) graduated December 2020
  15. Mr Karabo Serala (co-supervised with Prof L Mampuru and Dr Vusi Mbazima, University of Limpopo) graduated December 2020
  16. Ms Michelle du Toit graduated with distinction in December 2021
  17. Ms Jessica Burns (co-supervised with Prof Stefan Weiss, University of Witwatersrand) graduated December 2021
  18. Ms Cristine Araujo de Pontes (co-supervised with Prof Leticia Costa-Lotufo, University of São Paulo, Brazil) graduated 2021.

PhD

1.  Dr Huajian Teng 2004-2007, graduated in December 2007

2.  Dr Amaal Abrahams MSc 2003-2004, upgraded to PhD 2005 and graduated 2007

3.  Dr Emily Davis 2005-2009, graduated in December 2009

4.  Dr Reyna Deeya Ballim MSc 2006-2007, upgraded to PhD 2008 and graduated 2011

5.  Dr Aisha Pandor (Co-supervised with Prof Raj Ramesar) MSc 2007-2008, upgraded to PhD 2009 and graduated June 2012

6.  Dr Jade Peres MSc 2008-2009, upgraded to PhD 2010 and graduated June 2013

7.  Dr Sabina Wansleben MSc 2008-2009, upgraded to PhD 2010 graduated in December 2013

8.  Dr Saeb Aliwaini 2011-2013, graduated in June 2014

9.  Dr Jarod Li MSc 2009-2011, upgraded to PhD 2011 graduated in December 2014

10. Dr Nancy Laguette (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) MSc 2009-2010, upgraded to PhD 2011, graduated in June 2015

11. Dr Tarryn Willmer 2012-2015, graduated in December 2015

12. Dr Aretha Cooper MSc 2010-2011, upgraded to PhD 2012, graduated in June 2016

13. Dr Melissa Nel (co-supervised with Prof J. Heckmann) MSc 2012 – 2014, upgraded to PhD 2015, graduated in December 2016

14. Dr Sylvester Ifeanyi Omoruyi 2014-2018 (co-supervised with Dr OE Ekpo, University of the Western Cape), graduated in August 2018

15. Dr Jenna Bleloch MSc 2015, upgraded to PhD 2016, graduated July 2019

16. Dr Rehana Omar 2015, graduated December 2020

17. Dr Mohsin Khan 2016, graduated July 2021

18. Dr Alexis Mufweba 2015, graduated December 2021

19. Dr Ana Popovic 2016, graduated December 2021 (co-supervised with Dr S Tartare-Deckert, University of Cote d’azur, Nice, France)

20. Dr Victoria Damerell 2017, graduated July 2022 (co-supervised with Prof Michael Pepper, UP)

21. Dr Abid Ali 2018, graduated July 2023

22. Dr Saif Khan 2020, graduated July 2023

23. Dr Thato Medupe 2017, graduated September 2024 (co-supervised with Dr S Ngubane, Chemistry UCT)

24. Dr Vuyo Mlaza 2018, graduated September 2024

25. Dr Stephanie Ncube 2020, graduated September 2024

26. Dr Athi Welsh 2020, graduated September 2024 (co-supervised with Prof Gregory Smith, Chemistry UCT)

27. Dr Karabo Serala 2021, graduated September 2024

Postdoctoral Fellows

1.  Dr Shaheen Mowla 2006-2009

2.  Dr James Smith 2009-2010

3.  Dr Emily Davis 2010

4.  Dr Amaal Abrahams 2009-2011

5.  Dr Wendy Kröger 2010-2012

6.  Dr Deeya Ballim 2012- May 2015

7.  Dr Jade Peres 2013-2016

8.  Dr Tarryn Willmer 2016-2017

9.  Dr Lawrence Mabasa 2016-2017

10. Dr Serah Kimani 2014-2017

11. Dr Hapiloe Maranyane July 2017-December 2019

12. Dr Shanel Swartz April 2019-April 2020

13. Dr Supratim Biswas July 2019-August 2020

14. Dr Suparna Chakraborty May 2017-December 2021

15. Dr Arul Jothi August 2018- December 2021

16. Dr Alexis Mufweba June 2021-May 2022

17. Dr Athi Welsh February 2024-July 2024

Research Officer

Dr Amaal Abrahams January 2012-December 2013

Staff Scientist 

Dr Jade Peres 2016-2021

 Visiting Researchers/Students/Interns

  1. Mr Yoonus Abrahams (NRF intern) 2nd May 2013-30th April 2014
  2. Ms Melanie Oesterle (student from Germany -practical training) August 2013-January 2014
  3. Ms Marie-Sophie Bittner (Batchelor student from Technische Universität Berlin, Germany -practical training) September 2012-March 2013
  4. Ms Eliza Mari Maliepaard (MSc student – Radboudumc, Netherlands) 6th January to 30th September 2015
  5. Mr M.K. Harishankar (PhD student – SRM University, India) 15 February to 14th August 2015
  6. Ms Ania Szmyd-Potapczuk (PhD student – University of the Western Cape) January 2014-2015
  7. Ms Tanja Davis (PhD student – University Stellenbosch) December 2014-2015
  8. Ms Asanda Matsheku (Hons student – University of Cape Town/ University of Johannesburg) September 2015 to January 2016
  9. Mr. Ayodeji Adegoke (PhD student – University of Ibadan, Nigeria) May 2016 to August 2016
  10. Ms Shivani Mitra (undergraduate student, Washington University in St. Louis, USA) May 2016 to July 2016
  11. Ms Kenza Sayah (undergraduate student majoring in Biological Analysis, at the Technical University of Paris-East-Créteil (UPEC), France) April 2017 to 15 June 2017
  12. Dr Nasir Al Awwad (Assistant Professor of Pathology, Albaha University, Saudi Arabia) 13th June to 29th August. 2017
  13. Ms Bianca Del Bianco Sahm (PhD student – University of São Paulo, Brazil) 3 September 2017 to 29 September 2017
  14. Dr Paula Cristine Jimenez (Assistant teacher, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil) 18 September 2017 to 29 September 2017
  15. Ms Humaira Lambarey (NRF Intern) April 2017-April 2018
  16. Ms Faatiemah Higgins (PhD student - University of Valencia, Spain) 3rd to 28th June 2019
  17. Ms Bianca Del Bianco Sahm (PhD student – University of São Paulo, Brazil) 1 August 2018 to 30 June 2019
  18. Prof Devi Arikketh (SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India) 10 Nov 2019 - 5 Dec 2019
  19. Prof Stefan Franz Thomas Weiss (on Sabbatical) July 2019-June 2020
  20. Mr Arish Mudra Rakashasa-Loots (PhD student, Wellcome Trust Fellowship) May 2021 – June 2021.
  21. Ms Jeanne Maria Dsouza (Medical intern from the Kasturba Medical College Manipal, India) 29th April to 10th of May.
  22. Julia Balder (Undergraduate student from the University of Münster, Germany) January 2024-present.
  23. Prof Merecedes Rodriguez-Teja (Universidad de la Republica de Uruguay) November 2023 to February 2024.