The Division of Physiological Sciences Honours it's Doctoral and Masters Students

Lee-Devlin Hill graduated with a BSc (Med)(Hons) in Exercise Science from UCT before continuing with his PhD studies.
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that inherited genetic elements predispose  individuals to tendon and ligament injuries. Previous studies have investigated the association
of several variants within collagen genes, which encode for structural components these tissues, with lower limb tendon injuries. The association of these collagen gene variants with rotator cuff tendinopathy (RCT) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures has not been extensively investigated.
Lee-Devlin Hill’s thesis identifies important differences in the genetic profile of RCT, ACL and lower limb tendon injuries. Exploring these genetic loci may help us better understand the important  similarities and differences in the aetiology of these common musculoskeletal injuries.
Supervisor: Professor M Collins (Human Biology)
Co-supervisor: Associate Professor M Posthumus (Human Biology)

Firzana Firfirey holds a BSc(Hons) and MSc in Biotechnology from the University of the Western Cape (2013) where she researched the role of genetics in Autism Spectrum Disorder in South
African children. In 2016, she joined UCT and commenced her doctoral degree
in the Division of Physiological Sciences.
Firzana Firfirey’s thesis focuses on chronic shoulder pain and disability among South African breast
cancer survivors (BCS), aiming to identify genetic contributors to pain variability. Through cross-sectional analysis of 252 BCS, she investigated associations between pain/disability symptoms, and polymorphism within candidate genes (ABCB1, OPRM1, COMT), highlighting significant findings within a SA population. She also investigated the gene-gene interactions that unveiled complex associations impacting pain/disability. Furthermore, her bioinformatic exploration supported the genetic findings, shedding light on functional pathways. Overall, the study elucidated genetic influences on chronic
pain/disability in a diverse BCS cohort, paving the way towards personalized pain management strategies and novel therapeutic developments in the future.
Supervisor: Associate Professor D Shamley (Human Biology)
Co-supervisor: Professor AV September (Human Biology)

Roxanne Davis holds an honours degree in psychology and communications and has been a  registered psychological counsellor since 2013. She has been involved with ocean-based physical activity, community and disability initiatives in South Africa since 2016. She began full-time study towards her PhD in 2020.
Roxanne Davis’ thesis contributes to the knowledge gap surrounding research on the effectiveness
of surf therapy as a therapeutic tool for children with disabilities in South Africa, where large health inequalities exist. Her thesis explores the experiences of children with disabilities who participated in a surf therapy programme in the Western Cape, using a qualitative participatory research approach. The research design was a longitudinal exploratory case study underpinned by interpretive  phenomenological analysis. The findings supports the promotion of mental, physical, social, and emotional health through a surf therapy programme for children with disabilities. Additionally,  participation in the programme had an impact on reshaping participants’ worldviews, and the development and mastery of new skills. The synthesis of findings from the children with disabilities, parents, professionals and individuals that delivered the surf therapy programme produced four key findings and three key implications of the study.
Supervisor: Professor T Lorenzo (Health and Rehabilitation Sciences)
Co-supervisors: Professor Y Albertus (Human Biology); Professor A Hunter
(Nottingham Trent University, Sport Science)

Akim Lukwa holds a BSc-Honours in Economics from Midlands State University and a Master of Public Health with specialisation in Health Economics from UCT. His journey towards a PhD began in January 2020.
Akim Lukwa's thesis explores the important role of community-based savings schemes (Stokvels) in promoting healthy eating choices and addressing food security challenges in urban South Africa. Using a mixed-methodapproach, he starts with a systematic literature review on Stokvels, followed by a stakeholder mapping analysis to understand diverse stakeholders’ perceptions of Stokvels. Subsequently, a realist evaluation was conducted to understand the context and mechanisms influencing food purchasing decisionmaking in Stokvels. Finally, utilizing the discrete choice experiment methodology, the research investigated the factors influencing Stokvel members' decision-making regarding healthy food preferences. The findings of the research highlights how Stokvels can be leveraged to enhance nutritional choices, foster economic empowerment, and improve public health outcomes, especially among women in urban settings. His findings highlight the importance of shopping frequency, proximity to shopping outlets and transportation options as key factors influencing Stokvel members’ healthy food procurement preferences and choices.

Supervisor: Dr O Alaba (Public Health and Family Medicine)
Co-supervisors: Emeritus Professor EV Lambert (Human Biology and Public Health and Family Medicine); Dr FA Wayas (Human Biology and Public Health and Family Medicine)

Oluyemisi Folasire holds a BSc and MSc in Human Nutrition, and MB., BS. (lb.), FWACP (Fam. Med.) from the University
of Ibadan, Nigeria. She joined UCT in 2016 for her PhD studies. She works as a senior lecturer and clinician in Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Oluyemisi Folasire’s thesis focuses on addressing the increasing obesity prevalence in Nigeria. She first conducts a  comprehensive formative assessment (quantitative and qualitative) of patients living with overweight/obesity (PLWO) attending medical outpatient clinics (MOPs) at secondary hospitals in Nigeria to inform the development of a culturally appropriate diet and physical activity weight loss (DaPWL) intervention. She then investigates the feasibility of the developed intervention in a sample of PLWO attending a MOP in a pre-post-test design trail, monitorsintervention delivery, and interviews a sub-sample of completers and all health care personnel involved in intervention delivery. Triangulation of results provides strong support for good reach, acceptability, applicability, and intervention integrity of the intervention. A strong signal of effect is reflected in the significant reduction in weight, and significant improvements in dietary, physical activity, knowledge, and belief indicators. She recommends further testing of the DaPWL-intervention in a full scale randomized controlled trial.

Supervisor: Emeritus Professor M Senekal (Human Biology)
Co-supervisor: Associate Professor J Harbron (Human Biology)

Chadley Kemp holds a BSc (Human Physiology & Anatomy and Biochemistry) and a BSc (Med) Honours (Exercise Science) from UCT. Having been engaged commercially in esports since 2014, his PhD was inspired by a personal interest in the impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on esports players' health and performance.
Chadley Kemp's thesis explores sleep patterns, cardiometabolic disease risk factors, and neurocognitive performance in adult esports players. It also profiles their 24-hour physical activity and light exposure patterns. The findings demonstrate that despite similar cardiometabolic disease profiles, esports players have a strong eveningoriented phenotype, with later sleep timing, greater exposure to light-at night, lower exposure to bright natural daylight, more sedentary behaviour, but superior neurocognitive performance compared to non-gamers. These elements, coupled with irregular, poor quality sleep, may place gamers on a trajectory for higher future cardiometabolic disease risk. While additional research is needed to unravel the complex interplay between sleep, lifestyle, and gaming behaviours, the findings of this thesis highlight the need for interventions targeting sleepand circadian-disrupting behaviours in the esports community. The intention is for these data to be used to encourage policy reform within the esports industry through developing a framework to promote healthier gameplay standards.
Supervisor: Associate Professor DE Rae (Human Biology)
Co-supervisors: Associate Professor LC Roden (Molecular Biology, Coventry University); Associate Professor G Lipinska (Psychology)