Master’s Cum Laude Degree for Prediabetes Research

Contributing to the positive impact medical science makes on people’s lives is a goal of Ms Sthembiso Msane of Mtubatuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal who secured a cum laude Master’s degree in Human Physiology from UKZN.

Msane’s dissertation focused on the management of prediabetes – a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

Her research focused on investigating the effects of a 14:10 time-restricted feeding regimen in prediabetic rats with her findings showing that this feeding regimen could help restore glucose homeostasis – a state of balance among all the body systems needed for the body to survive and function correctly – disrupted by prediabetes, indicating its potential as a promising approach for managing the condition.

The study was co-supervised by Mr Aubrey Sosibo and the multi award-winning School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences Human Physiology Professor Andile Khathi, who leads a UKZN research team with a strong focus on prediabetes.

Khathi is also a member of a multi-disciplinary research team that synthesises and tests experimental metallo-compounds on the management of both diabetes and prediabetes; the co-founder and chairperson of the Diabetes and Endocrine Research Society of South Africa and a Topic Editor for Frontiers in Endocrinology and Frontiers in Nutrition, which are the leading journals in his field.

Sosibo and Khathi lauded Msane’s study for its findings and also acknowledged the hard work and dedication that went into it.

Grateful to her supervisors, Msane added: ‘I’m thankful to God for guiding me throughout my journey, and to my mother and late father for their unwavering support.’

Msane says she has always had a strong interest in biology and chemistry. ‘I wanted to use that passion in a way that could have a real impact on people’s lives. When a close family member fell seriously ill, I saw the vital role healthcare professionals play in helping others. That experience sparked my desire to pursue a career in medical science,’ Msane said.

She is currently pursuing her PhD in the discipline.

Words: Lunga Memela

Photograph: Supplied