Degree programmes offered in Clinical Pharmacology within the UCT Clinical PK Laboratory

We offer the following postgraduate degrees:

  • Honours Bachelor of Medical Science – BMedSc (Hons)
  • Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
  • Master of Science in Medicine – MSc (Med)
  • Doctor of Philosophy – PhD (Med)

BMedSc (Hons)

The Pharmacology Honours programme is a one-year full-time course aimed at graduates with backgrounds in life science, chemistry or pharmacy who wish to pursue careers in technical areas or are considering higher degrees and careers in research. The programme begins with an 8-week practical training course designed to teach laboratory techniques such as cell culture, antimicrobial assays, bioanalytical assays, chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Each student will undertake a research project (approximately six months), usually in natural products, toxicology, or clinical bioanalysis. The research will be supervised by staff and senior postgraduate students and written up as a comprehensive thesis for examination at the end of the course. Theory modules are taught and examined parallel to the practical training course and research project.

Prospective applicants can contact the course coordinator Ms Sharne Dunn (sharne.dunn@uct.ac.za).

MPhil

This degree offers postgraduate training in the drug development process via coursework and a research project with a minor dissertation. The programme is a two-year full-time course and aims to educate and train researchers in the clinical pharmacology of drug development. The first-year curriculum comprises the following modules: pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic principles, pharmacometrics, clinical bioanalysis, and drug development. The second year is focused on an individual research project and dissertation.

Prospective applicants can contact the course coordinator Ms Sharne Dunn (sharne.dunn@uct.ac.za).

MSc (Med)

This dissertation-based degree is aimed at graduates with an Honours degree in pharmacology, life sciences or chemistry who wish to pursue a research career. Projects within the PK laboratory focus on developing and validating bioanalytical methods of small molecules (predominantly HIV and TB drugs) in various biological matrices (plasma, urine, breast milk, cerebral spinal fluid, etc.). Previous laboratory and LC-MS experience is optional but preferred. Projects in natural products research are also available and will focus on screening actinobacteria for novel antimicrobial compounds and drug discovery. The PK team usually accepts one to two MSc students per year, depending on the availability of projects, funding, and supervisors.

Prospective applicants can contact the course convenor Prof Lubbe Wiesner (lubbe.wiesner@uct.ac.za).

PhD (Med)

This dissertation-based degree is aimed at graduates with a Masters degree in pharmacology, life sciences, or chemistry who wish to pursue a research career. Projects within the PK research laboratory focus on developing and validating novel bioanalytical methods of small molecules (predominantly HIV and TB drugs) in rare biological matrices (breastmilk, cerebral spinal fluid, intracellular, hair etc.). Previous laboratory and LC-MS experience is recommended. Projects in natural products research are also available and will focus on screening actinobacteria for novel antimicrobial compounds and drug discovery. The PK team usually accepts one to two PhD students per year, depending on the availability of projects, funding, and supervisors.

Prospective applicants can contact the course convenor Prof Lubbe Wiesner (lubbe.wiesner@uct.ac.za).

Please note:

Other research groups within the Division of Clinical Pharmacology also offer Masters and PhD degrees.

Publication Highlights

2025

  1. Foster KK, Pooran A, van der Merwe M, Castel S, Joubert A, Zangenberg E, Dheda K, Wiesner L. Validation and clinical application of an LC-MS/MS method designed to simultaneously measure seven second-line TB drugs and two metabolites in human lung tissue. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2025 Dec 15;266:117093. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2025.117093. Epub 2025 Aug 6. PMID: 40782709.
  2. Bernard R, Maputla SP, Zuma P, Joubert A, Castel S, van der Merwe M, Zangenberg E, Wiesner L. Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for quantifying total and unbound doravirine in human plasma. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2025 Feb 1;1252:124439. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2024.124439. Epub 2024 Dec 31. PMID: 39754816. 
  3. Maputla SP, Joubert A, Castel S, van der Merwe M, Zangenberg E, Wasserman S, Dooley KE, Wiesner L. Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the simultaneous analysis of isoniazid and pyrazinamide in cerebrospinal fluid. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2025 Mar 15;255:116613. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116613. Epub 2024 Dec 4. PMID: 39653626.
  4. Kenfack Teponnou GA, Joubert A, Spaltman S, Merwe MV, Zangenberg E, Sawe S, Denti P, Castel S, Conradie F, Court R, Maartens G, Wiesner L. Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS multiplex assay for the quantification of bedaquiline, n-desmethyl bedaquiline, linezolid, levofloxacin, and clofazimine in dried blood spots. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2025 Feb 1;1252:124470. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2025.124470. Epub 2025 Jan 16. PMID: 39827625.

2024

  1. Mkhize B, Court R, Castel S, Joubert A, van der Merwe M, Maartens G, Conradie F, Wiesner L. Validation and application of an online extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for the analysis of delamanid and its DM-6705 metabolite in human breast milk. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2024 May 16;246:116225. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116225. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38761519.
  2. Watson DJ, Laing L, Petzer JP, Wong HN, Parkinson CJ, Wiesner L, Haynes RK. Efficacies and ADME properties of redox active methylene blue and phenoxazine analogues for use in new antimalarial triple drug combinations with amino- artemisinins. Front Pharmacol. 2024 Jan 8;14:1308400. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1308400. PMID: 38259296; PMCID: PMC10800708.
  3. Sydwell Poulo Maputla , Willem Van Dalen , Anton Joubert , Jennifer Norman , Sandra Castel , Marthinus van der Merwe , Lubbe Wiesner. A validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the analysis of isoniazid and its metabolite acetyl-isoniazid in urine. Journal of Mass Spectrometry and Advances in the Clinical Lab 32 (2024) 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmsacl.2024.02.001

2023 

  1. Mazanhanga MT, Joubert A, Castel SA, van der Merwe M, Maartens G, Dooley KE, Upton CM, Wiesner L. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of delamanid and its metabolite in human cerebrospinal fluid using protein precipitation and on-line solid-phase extraction. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2023 Feb 3;227:115281. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115281. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36739721.
  2. Mkhize B, Court R, Castel S, Joubert A, van der Merwe M, Wiesner L. Development and validation of a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for the analysis of bedaquiline and M2 in breast milk. J Mass Spectrom Adv Clin Lab. 2023 Dec 13;31:8-16. doi: 10.1016/j.jmsacl.2023.12.001. PMID: 38188986; PMCID: PMC10770620.
  3. Daniel J. Watson, Lubbe Wiesner, Tlhalefo Matimela, Denzil Beukes and Paul R. Meyers. Tandem LC-MS Identification of Antitubercular Compounds in Zones of Growth Inhibition Produced by South African Filamentous Actinobacteria. Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4276. doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114276
  4. Marian Mazanhanga, Anton Joubert, Sandra Castel, Marthinus Van de Merwe, Gary Maartens, Sean Wasserman, Lubbe Wiesner. Validation of a quantitative liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for linezolid in cerebrospinal fluid and its application to patients with HIV-associated TB-meningitis. Heliyon 9 (2023) e21962. doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21962

2022

  1. Joubert A, Joubert A, van der Merwe M, Norman J, Castel S, Denti P, Sliwa K, Maartens G, Sinxadi P, Wiesner L. Validation of a quantitative multiplex LC-MS/MS assay of carvedilol, enalaprilat, and perindoprilat in dried blood spots from heart failure patients and its cross validation with a plasma assay. J Mass Spectrom Adv Clin Lab. 2022 Dec 12;27:7-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jmsacl.2022.12.003. PMID: 36568714; PMCID: PMC9772843.
  2. Watson DJ, Evans A, Blockman M, Wiesner L. Detection of karakin poisoning using a targeted mass spectrometric workflow. S Afr Med J. 2022 Dec 1;112(12):901-903. doi: 0.7196/SAMJ.2022.v112i12.16667. PMID: 36472319.
  3. Zuma P, Joubert A, van der Merwe M, Norman J, Waitt C, Court R, Loveday M, Castel S, Wiesner L. Validation and application of a quantitative LC-MS/MS assay for the analysis of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, rifabutin and their metabolites in human breast milk. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2022 Nov 15;1211:123489. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123489. Epub 2022 Oct 4. PMID: 36215877.
  4. Watson DJ, Laing L, Beteck RM, Gibhard L, Haynes RK, Wiesner L. The evaluation of ADME and pharmacokinetic properties of decoquinate derivatives for the treatment of malaria. Front Pharmacol. 2022 Aug 19;13:957690. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.957690. PMID: 36091789; PMCID: PMC9450014.
  5. Mkhize B, Kellermann T, Norman J, Castel S, Joubert A, van der Merwe M, Dooley KE, Mathad JS, Wiesner L. Validation and application of a quantitative liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for the analysis of rifapentine and 25-O-desacetyl rifapentine in human milk. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2022 Jun 5;215:114774. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.114774. Epub 2022 Apr 16. PMID: 35462285; PMCID: PMC9871952.