SCHOOL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
| Professor Richard Hift Email: hift@ukzn.ac.za Tel: +27(0) 31 2604485 Campus: Dean’s Suite, Level 4, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. Richard Hift received his medical training at the University of Cape Town, where he later specialised in internal medicine. He then completed a two-year research fellowship in the MRC/UCT Liver Research Centre. This led to a dual clinical career in specialist hepatology and general medicine, a research career in disorders of biosynthesis and porphyria, an MMed Medicine and a PhD. He moved to UKZN in 2007 as head of the Department of Medicine and served as Dean of the School of Clinical Medicine from 1012-2016, during which time he served as Chair of the South African Committee of Medical Deans. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and has received numerous invitations to speak at local and international scientific meetings. He has been deeply involved in the education and training of undergraduate and postgraduate medical professionals and the integration of the returning NMFCMC students from Cuba into South African medical schools. In recent years, this has developed into a strong interest in research capacitation for clinicians, which encompasses several areas: recognition of the differences between clinical and research reasoning, the fostering of a deeper understanding of the philosophy of the scientific method, training in the practice of science for clinicians and the empowerment of research supervisors. For the past two years, he has served as the Acting Academic Leader of Research for the School of Clinical Medicine, and has used this position to develop policies and administrative procedures which facilitate quality MMed- and PhD-level research. He has a firm commitment to promoting academic medicine in South Africa and is active in clinical service, teaching and research, as well as policy formulation and mentorship. |
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SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
| Professor Pragashnie Naidoo Email: naidoopg@ukzn.ac.za Tel: +27(0) 31 260 8258 Campus: Dean’s Suite, Block-E, Westville Prof. Pragashnie Govender, an Occupational Therapist and Full Professor, brings over two decades of distinguished experience across multiple sectors, including public health, private healthcare, specialised education, and higher education. Her journey, which began as a first-generation graduate, has seen her rise from tutor to full professor, inspiring a range of students and professionals alike. Prof Govender holds the following qualifications
Moreover, she has multiple national and international certifications in multiple areas of practice. Prof. Govender is highly respected within her profession and the academy at large. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Prof. Govender has been instrumental in training both undergraduate and postgraduate health science students, ensuring that future healthcare professionals are equipped not only with knowledge but also with the highest standards of ethical and professional integrity. Her dedication to teaching is evident in her mentorship of students across different levels, fostering a commitment to compassionate care and ethical practice as they step into their careers. Currently serving as the Academic Leader of Research within the School of Health Sciences, Prof. Govender’s influence extends across eight professional disciplines, where she ensures the integrity of both postgraduate programmes and research endeavours. With an initial NRF-Y-rating and current C2-Rating, her scholarly work has led to over 100 peer-reviewed outputs and numerous accolades, including the following prestigious research awards:
Prof. Govender’s work and footprint extends beyond the academy in how she enacts her role as a practitioner, researcher and contributing member of society. Research Interests Occupational Therapy Practice across a number of areas with a strong interest in implementation science and in using various methodologies.
List of Publications Pragashnie Govender (researchgate.net) Pragashnie Govender – Google Scholar |
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SCHOOL OF LABORATORY MEDICINE AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
| Professor Michelle Gordon Tel: +27 31 260 3841/4833 Campus: Howard, 1st Floor George Campbell Building Holds a PhD and is a Virologist and Lecturer in the Department of Virology, as well as a Senior Scientist at the HIV Pathogenesis Programme (HPP). She supervises a number of students and is involved in many research projects. Her research focuses mainly on HIV ARV drug resistance. She also has extensive bioinformatics experience and has co-authored several papers on the characterization of HIV-1 subtype C and is a co-author on several bioinformatics papers. |
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NURSING AND PUBLIC HEALTH
| Professor Nkosana Jafta Email: jaftan@ukzn.ac.za Tel: +27 31 260 4528 Campus: Howard, 3rd Floor George Campbell Building Nkosana Jafta is a Lecturer and Researcher in the Discipline of Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). His research interests are in Environmental and Cancer Epidemiology. The focus of environmental epidemiology is (i) Environmental Exposure Assessment, (iii) Environmental Exposure Modelling and (ii) Exposure and Risk Methodology. Nkosana Jafta has successfully obtained competitive grants and scholarships from NIH Fogarty International, South African TB and HIV/Aids Training (SATBAT), South African Netherlands Programme on Alternative Development (SANPAD), the University of KwaZulu-Natal Research Grant, among others. As part of the co-principal investigator in research collaboration, he has been part of funding applications that resulted in more than a total of R50 million for different studies that include MLCCP, OrCHID, HeALTH study, etc. Nkosana Jafta has published in peer-reviewed journals, presented work in national and international meetings, and published a book chapter from one of the conference proceedings published. He occasionally reviews submissions to journals and scientific meetings. Nkosana Jafta has supervised and co-supervisor to completion of full-research Masters and Doctoral students working on environmental epidemiology with emphasis on air pollution and cancer epidemiology. His research collaborations include local and international institutions, mainly in the South. |
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Michelle Gordon
