March 2013 RECENT EVENTS

WORKSHOP: STRENGTHENING A RESEARCH CULTURE The Wits Department of Nursing Education in conjunction with the Nursing Education Association and Johnson & Johnson hosted a workshop on 8 March 2013, entitled: Strengthening a research culture. The guest speaker was Professor Dame Tina Lavender of the University of Manchester, a midwifery professor who was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to midwifery in 2012. She received the prestigious award for her demonstration of commitment, determination and leadership to raise the profile of midwifery, women’s health and women’s lives through education and research, both in the UK and in Africa. Her primary focus has centred on the prevention of prolonged labour which still remains a major cause of mortality. She has developed a cross-national masters degree programme in midwifery and women’s health for institutions in the UK and Africa in order to develop the ability of midwifery educators and improve practice. Her ground-breaking research has resulted in many changes in midwifery practice and policy and, as a result of her work exploring maternal mortality, morbidity and public health, improvements in care and maternity services have been made for countless numbers of women. Midwives and women in the UK and worldwide have benefited from her work. For instance, she established the African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, which is issued free to African midwives providing them with an invaluable source of contemporary midwifery research and information. Photograph: Mrs Barbara Hanrahan, Carol Bedwell, Professor Dame Tina Lavender, Professor Lize Maree, Dr Sue Armstrong FIRST SOUTH-AFRICA-GERMAN SUMMER SCHOOL ON COMPARAT IVE PSYCHOLOGY

Nina Patzke writes: ‘From 18 to 22 February, the first South-Africa-German Summer School on comparative psychology took place. During this week students, young academics and senior scientists from the biopsychology lab of the Ruhr-University Bochum and the Wits School of Anatomical Sciences had the opportunity to discuss one of the major constraints of modern comparative psychology: the over focus on too

few model species, hampering especially profound conclusions on phylogenetic origins of a given brain function or behaviour. United by the motivation to work on a solution to this problem, participants from both countries attended talks by international speakers, with topics ranging from Damaraland mole rat courtship behaviour to elephant hippocampus research to cetacean neuroanatomy and many other research areas covering a wide range of fascinating topics within the comparative psychology of unusual African model species. Participants agreed that further research on such less studied species is necessary to provide deeper insights on the evolution and development of specific behaviours. Based on the knowledge gathered during the talks, the participating students independently developed their own hypothetical behavioural experiments on less studied species covering species like giraffe, elephants and meerkats, with the best experimental design (“Limb preferences in the common giraffe”) being awarded a book prize. Given the high quality of the experimental designs based on only a few days of training, the Summer School proved that even such a short cooperation can result in a profound basis to solve one of the major constraints of modern comparative psychology.’ Some comments were: “Students were highly motivated to learn about behavioral aspects of comparative psychology and translate this knowledge to interesting own projects” (Dr Martina Manns, Ruhr-University Bochum); “It was an excellent organization and breathtaking friendly atmosphere in which an open academic exchange could happen” (Professor Onur Güntürkün, Ruhr-University Bochum); “I liked the idea and I think it really worked that the students design a hypothetical project” (Professor Lauriston Kellaway, University of Cape Town); “I found the school to be rather interesting in terms of my exposure to different areas of neuroscience. I particularly enjoyed the chance to design a comparative psychological experiment and the ideas my colleagues put forth” (Josh Davimes, student participant); “I thoroughly enjoyed the 1st German- South African school on comparative psychology. The lectures were interesting and informative. The program was well structured. I loved the career planning session the most as I could speak to researchers about a career path in a more relaxed setting. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I look forward to the next school” (Leigh-Anne Dell, student participant); “The school was captivating and enlightening, it explored areas that were new to some of us and presented ideas and tools for research that some of us only got to read about. I especially enjoyed the career guidance session” (Samson Chengetanai, student participant). Photographs (left): First row from left to right: Joshua G Davimes, Brendon Billings, Professor Onur Güntürkün, Felix Ströckens; Second row from left to right: Professor Lauriston Kellaway, Professor Amadi O Ihunwo, Dr Martina Manns, Illke Philander, Leigh-Anne Dell, Tanya Calvey, Ayanda Ngwenya, Jean-Leigh Krüger, Dr Jutta Peterburs, Thandi MD Fasemore, Dr Nina Patzke, Dr Sebastian Ocklenburg, Professor Paul R Manger, Olatunbosun Olaleye; (right): Award winners, best poster award and best experimental design award: left to right: Joshua G Davimes, Ayanda Ngwenya, Brendon Billings, Jean-Leigh Krüger, Leigh-Anne Dell, Tanya Calvey CELEBRATION OF PROFESSOR MARTIN VELLER’S TENURE AS HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Photographs (left): Professors Damon Bizos, Mac Lukele, Ahmed Wadee and Sri Sridiran; (right): Professors Beverley Kramer, Martin Smith, Martin Veller and Ahmed Wadee with Mrs Rose Norwich Members of staff, registrars and students gathered in the Adler Museum of Medicine to celebrate Professor Martin Veller’s tenure as Academic Head of the Department of Surgery joyously and with great enthusiasm. The gratitude of all the speakers for Professor Veller’s sterling leadership and stewartship of the Department was clear as speaker after speaker extolled his virtues. Professor Martin Smith, the incoming Academic Head, spoke warmly and enthusiastically of the huge contribution Professor Veller had made over a period of more than ten years. Professor Veller has left a Department which is incredibly stable, transformed both in terms of the demographics of the country and by gender, and successful with an almost 100% pass rate at college

level of registrars over the last few years. Trainee numbers have reached over 60 registrars and the teaching platform expanded to include regional hospitals as far afield as North West Province. As a leader, a role model, a mentor and a teacher, his skills were celebrated and recognised. Professor Smith was followed by speakers representing the registrars, fellows and junior consultants, Heads of Divisions, donors and administrative staff. SPECIAL VISITORS TO THE FACULTY

There have been a number of special visitors to the Adler Museum of Medicine in the last few weeks. They have included Dr Hector McDonald (MBBCh 1982), photographed with Debbi Williamson, Hector McDonald, Sarah McDonald and Kevin Rohani (above left), who visited South Africa on holiday. Dr McDonald is an ophthalmologist who subspecialised in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. He writes: ‘My practice is limited to eyelid reconstruction and I love every minute of it. I am affiliated to the University of Ottawa and I am on the staff of the Ottawa Hospital. My research interests include full thickness eyelid transplants and minimally invasive surgical techniques. My journey from Wits took me through the UK and a stint as a family doctor and coroner in the Prairies. I was thoroughly impressed with Wit's Medical School and realised how long it has been since I graduated.’

Mr Martin Mintz, eldest grandson of Dr Cyril and Dr Esther Adler, founders of the Adler Museum of Medicine and after whom the museum is named, pictured here with his wife and Professor Joe Veriava, Chairman of the Board of Control of the Museum (above right), who also visited South Africa on holiday and made time specially for viewing the Adler Museum and learning more about the staff and current priorities of the museum. Professor Krishna Somers (MBBCh 1949) (file picture left), who visited South Africa to attend a presentation of scholarships that he endowed at his old school in Durban. He has written a tribute on the life and times of his friend Professor Phillip Tobias for submission to Munk's Roll of the Royal College of Physicians. Professor Somers was at the Royal Perth Hospital from 1974 until his retirement and has lived in Australia since that date. He has returned to South Africa for visits many times. He continues to work in private practice and provides occasional relief at the Royal Perth Hospital. _______________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENT EVENTS

SURGICAL STUDENTS SHOW CHARITABLE SPIRIT The Wits Students Surgical Society’s Tight, Bright and White 5 km Fun Run/Walk was held on 13 February 2013 at the Wits Education Campus (JCE). The route consisted of two laps of 2,5kms each. The students had an excellent turn out with about 370 runners. Students, staff and external runners participated and each runner was charged R20. The Society raised R 8 000, with the Dean, Professor Ahmed Wadee, and the Faculty contributing an amount to round off the money raised to the next thousand. The students are extremely grateful to a number of sponsors: Olives & Plates donated 500 bottles of water; Sir Juice donated a variety of juices for the runners at the half way mark; the Red Bull Wings Team handed out samples of Red

Photographs: (left): Members of the Students’ Surgical Society dressed up for the walk; (right): Professer Ahmed Wadee, Anice and Erwin Kruger, Professor Martin Weller and Pippie Kruger

Bull and The Sweat Shop in Dunkeld West donated the prizes for first, second and third place, both male and female. The money raised is going towards the building of a rehabilitation centre in Ellisras, Limpopo, inspired by burn victim Pippie Kruger, and her mother, Anice, who has been a great inspiration. Amongst other amenities, the Centre will have a physiotherapist on call, a gym, physiotherapy room and a warm water pool to assist burn victims in getting the best possible care and rehabilitation. “We were thrilled to be involved in this project and it is wonderful to give back to our community,” says Sulé Burger, secretary of the Wits Surgical Students Society. We are all about outreach and we learn a lot about our community with projects such as these. Whenever we are presented with such an opportunity, we are just too excited to take it on.” Pippie, who suffered burns to 85% of her body on New Year’s Eve in 2011, has been recovering well since Dr Ridwan Mia, a Wits graduate, made history last year when he and a team of doctors saved the three-year-old’s life by transplanting skin cloned from her own cells in a lab in Boston in the United States.

The original article appeared in Wits News 26 February 2013. The Wits Students Surgical Society was started in August 2010 with the support of the Department of Surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand. Members of the society include current Wits students as well as post-graduate interns and registrars. The society is registered as a member of the South African Society of Surgeons in Training (SASSiT) The core objectives of the society are: To provide insight into a career in surgery; To develop relationships between surgeons and students; To enable members to gain valuable surgical skills; To form strong collaborative relationships with other surgical societies (both local and international) and to support and give back to communities in need. AND STUDENTS SUPPORT CANSA SHAVATHON ONCE AGAIN!

It just has to be one of the most special days of the year when students and staff gather in the foyer in support of the CANSA Shavathon. The brave shave their hair off while the not so brave have their hair sprayed or gelled in funky colours. We salute the many students who had their beautiful hair shaved off, and the five students who cut off long pony tails to be turned into wigs. Thank you to the staff and students who took the time to join in the spirit of the day. We even had students from the main campus who came to support the initiative! Alex Griffiths, MSC Secretary, sent out a notice for people who have loved ones ‘affected by’ cancer to send her their pictures, which were then presented on a ‘Warrior Wall’. She wanted to include those who are fighting cancer, those who have won the battle or those who have passed away. She wanted to honour their struggle and make them realise that they are not alone.

She writes: ‘So many staff and students, including myself, have a tough time with such a demanding degree and dealing with cancer diagnoses at home and I wanted to honour their struggle and to make them realize that they are not alone in it. One 2nd year medical student has a mom who had just started chemo for breast cancer the day before the shavathon and she cried as I shaved her head.’ Just over R8 000 was raised and the students’ aim is to raise R10 000 in 2014. WELL DONE!! More photographs appear on the back page!

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CONGRATULATIONS!

PROFESSOR MARIO ALTINI RECEIVES A SENIOR DOCTORATE Congratulations to Professor Mario Altini for being awarded a prestigious senior doctorate, the DSc (Medicine). The DSc is the highest research degree conferred in the University. It is generally accepted that this degree is a culmination of a lifetime’s research work and generally records a research journey over many years for the candidate. Professor Altini was formerly Head of the Division of Oral Pathology in the School of Pathology. Mario’s research for which he received this prestigious degree was entitled ‘From Odontones to Aids’. Congratulations Professor Altini! CONGRATULATIONS TO PROFESSOR LAETITIA RISPEL

Congratulations to Professor Laetitia Rispel, Head of School of Public Health, who was inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. This recognises nurse researchers who are Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) members and who have achieved long term, broad national and/or international recognition for their research which has impacted the profession and the people they serve.

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ANTONIA WADLEY! Antonia Wadley has just been awarded the highly prestigious Hillel Friedland Postdoctoral Fellowship. Toni is originally a physiotherapist originally from the UK with a special interest in chronic pain. She came to South Africa in 2008 and joined the Pain lab in the Brain Function Research Group. She has just finished her PhD looking at the factors associated with developing neuropathy in HIV-positive people starting antiretroviral therapy. HIV-associated sensory neuropathy is frequently painful and affects people’s ability to function on a daily basis yet there are no proven, commercially available treatments for the pain. For Toni’s postdoc she wishes to investigate the effect of psychosocial interventions for the treatment of chronic, intractable HIV pain. The Fellowship is intended for young individuals who have completed a doctorate in the past five years and who wish to conduct cutting-edge research in a topic relevant to the health domain. This focus should be construed to include research in pre-clinical basic sciences, clinical research and relevant social science topics such as health education, policy and communication. ___________________________

OBITUARIES PROFESSOR BASIL HIRSCHOWITZ Basil Isaac Hirschowitz was born in Bethel, South Africa. He seriously considered studying engineering but ultimately chose a career in life sciences. He graduated with a BSc in Physiology in 1944, and a medical degree, MBBCh, in 1947, both from Wits. This was followed by an internship at the Johannesburg General Hospital. Dr Hirschowitz worked in cardiology and gastroenterology in the UK. He was awarded the degree Doctor of Medicine, MD, by Wits in 1954. He subsequently began working in gastroenterology at the University of Michigan. During the mid 1950s, he read a paper describing a promising technique for image transmission using optical fibres. Recognising the potential for gastroscopy, Hirschowitz travelled to the UK to meet with the authors. However, the technique had serious limitations making it impractical for medical applications. He began working on this problem with two physicists, CW Peters and LE Curtiss. Together they solved a number of fundamental issues in fibreoptic imaging, and in so doing, developed the world's first practical, flexible, fiberoptic gastroscopic system based on glass-clad fibres introduced by Curtiss. The original device, which Hirschowitz first tested on himself, is now housed at the Smithsonian Museum. The flexible gastroscope's importance was soon recognised by many in the medical profession. Its development spawned a range of flexible endoscopes to view and surgically intervene in other regions of the body, and is widely recognised as one of the truly important advances in modern medicine. Basil Hirschowitz made many other contributions to gastroenterology and was a major force in the development of this discipline at the University of Alabama, where he was a Professor until his retirement. He died in Alabama, USA, on 19 January 2013, aged 87. (Text provided by Professor David Rubin.) Photograph: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, UAB. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

MRS LIZ FICK

Liz Fick, Faculty Registrar for many years, died in Mossel Bay on 2 March 2013 after a long illness and was cremated in Calitzdorp on 7 March 2013. Liz retired from Wits in 2003 but is still widely remembered by many colleagues and friends. Her passion for education started in London where she was headmistress of a school before relocating to South Africa. She was therefore no stranger to education and student administration and she worked at Wits for many years, in Student Affairs, in the Bursary Office (now called Financial Aid and Scholarships) where she played a significant role, and subsequently as a Registrar of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Postgraduate work and research interested her most, and she was a stickler for ensuring that correct research titles appeared in graduation booklets! She is described as being very strict but fair. She retired from Wits in 2003 and she and her husband Alex went to live in Calitzdorp in 2005. Liz leaves her husband Alex and son Simon who lives in Johannesburg. On behalf the Faculty we extend deepest sympathy to the family. Hamba kahle Liz! _______________________________________________________________________________________

INVITATIONS

FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

The Dean, Professor Ahmed Wadee cordially invites you to attend the

Annual Prize-Giving Ceremony

Date: 04 April 2013 Time: 15:30 for 16:00

Venue: CMJ Academic Hospital Auditorium

Programme

1. Welcome 2. Guest Speaker: Professor Adam Habib 3. Presentation of prizes and awards 4. Refreshments: Adler Museum Foyer

Kindly RSVP to: Mrs K Naidoo at Kasturi.Naidoo@wits.ac.za ___________________________

HAVE A LOOK AT THIS IMPORTANT BLOG!

http://whammedia.co.za/open-letter-to-wits

OPEN LETTER TO A UNIVERSITY I LOVE, OF WHICH I HAVE VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS Dr Gillian Godsell writes: ‘Wits Medical School was one of the first in the world to draw up and implement a code of ethics pertaining to research.’ Professor Peter Cleaton-Jones notes: Our HREC (Medical) was formed in 1966 by John Hansen, Professor of Paediatrics, and supported by the Vice-Chancellor's Office. The V-C in 1966 was Professor ID MacCrone, a psychologist. The other South African universities and SAMRC followed from 1977. I believe that Wits was the first in Africa, probably first in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the first in the world. _______________________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT NOTICES! PARKING NOTICE TO ALL STAFF

Please note: all staff members who park in the front parking lot of the Medical School Building: Any cars parked illegally in this parking lot will be clamped. This includes:

1. Cars parked outside of a designated parking bay. 2. Cars parked without displaying a valid parking sticker on the front windscreen. 3. Cars parked in bays for disabled staff.

As from 15 March 2013 all illegally parked cars will be clamped by security. The clamp will only be removed after production of a receipt issued by the parking office (Ms M Mackay) upon the payment of a R200 fine. BY ORDER OF THE DEAN

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LOCKING OF TURNSTILES

Please will all staff note that as a result of recent security incidents on campus the turnstiles between the Medical School building and the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital will be locked at night (except for the green corridor) from 18:00 until 06:00, as from 1 March 2013. To all staff on the 3rd and 4th floors in laboratories or offices with windows that can be accessed from the ground floor: All such windows must be locked at the end of each working day to prevent intruders. This is mandatory for good security. If staff are unable to lock their windows because the keys are lost they must log a request with PIMD to have a latch installed on the inside. Staff must ensure that windows are latched whenever their offices are unoccupied.

BY ORDER OF THE DEAN

Security is everyone’s responsibility. Dr Carla Martins-Furness (PhD) Chair: Security Committee, Faculty of the Health Sciences Professor AA Wadee, Dean: Faculty of the Health Sciences _______________________________________________________________________________________

SEMINARS/CONFERENCES

First announcement Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium

The Faculty’s annual teaching and learning symposium will take place on 18 September 2013 . This year’s theme is Embracing a Knowledge Economy (EKE) The venue is the School of Public Health and Professor Stewart Mennin is the guest speaker. Professor Mennin’s area of expertise is curriculum development and he will address knowledge economy and transformative education in his address. Book this day in your diary NOW!! A call for abstracts will go out soon and we urge our young lecturers to come forward and share the innovative things they are doing in their teaching! _______________________________________________________________________________________

Medical Humanities Research Group at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER)

Conference to be held from 2 - 4 September 2013 In South Africa (and indeed on the African continent as a whole) there is not a single Centre for Medical Humanities. Although there are a number of scholars in South African universities whose research interests could be gathered under a Medical Humanities rubric, the absence of institutionalised interdisciplinary dialogue between the humanities and medicine here is perplexing, particularly given the enormously politicised and iniquitous history of South African health and medicine through the 20th century, the legacy of which continues in various forms into the present. This conference aims to place Medical Humanities as a vibrant field of enquiry firmly onto the scholarly agenda in South Africa. To this end, we hope to draw local scholars and practitioners working in this area into conversation with one another and with international colleagues whose research is located within established medical humanities projects. The Medical Humanities research group at WiSER invites abstracts of up to 500 words for papers that speak to our broad, inclusive theme of ‘Body Knowledge’. We welcome submissions from scholars and practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines, including the arts, literature, film, sociology, anthropology, history, medicine, philosophy, ethics, and psychology. In addition to panel sessions, we are planning a public event which will draw in a wider Johannesburg audience, as well as an art exhibition and film screening. 20-minute scholarly papers might address, but are not limited to, the following:

• Themes of embodiment and the body as a site of knowledge • Body parts in culture, history, art and literature (including organs, skin, skulls, bones, tissues and blood) • Metaphors and representations of health and illness • Politics and power relations in medicine and health research • Medical plurality: the coexistence of indigenous pre-colonial systems of healing, their modern shifting

forms, their conversations with biomedicine, and the links between these and religious practices of the body

• Medicine as an art: as a fusion of practical scientific knowledge, tactics and performance Medical genres (case histories; medical memoir etc.)

• Theoretical paradigms through which the humanities ‘reads’ biomedicine Abstracts of up to 500 words, together with a brief biography of 250 words, should be submitted to Ashlee.Neser@wits.ac.za by 15 March 2013. Queries may be directed to either Ashlee.Neser@wits.ac.za or cath@burns.org.za . Please see the WiSER website for more information about our Institute at Wits: http://wiserweb.wits.ac.za/ _________________________________________________________________

OOPS! OUR FACES ARE RED Professor Ken Huddle’s name was enthusiastically added to our list as one of the people holding the tribal wisdom of the Faculty. He assures us (which we knew anyway) that he is still a full-time employee and has NOT retired – this will only take place in 2015. AND ANOTHER TRIBAL LEADER IS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTI ON

Professor HH (Buddy) Lawson – who is a regular weekly visitor to the Department of Surgery! Pictured here with Professor JR Botha, Professor Lawson worked for countless years at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and was one of the generation of outstanding surgeons mentored by the great Professor Daniel Jacob (Sonny) du Plessis when he was appointed to the Chair of Surgery in 1958. Others included JA (Bert) Myburgh, CJ (Carel) Mieny and André Giraud. _____________________________________________________________

CANSA SHAVATHON PARTICIPANTS!

Health Sciences Review is published mid -month every month.

The next issue will appear on 12 April 2013 Deadline for submission of information and pictures : 10 April 2013

Please send information to: adler.museum@wits.ac.za or rochelle.keene@wits.ac.za