Bridging the Bench-to-Bedside Gap in African Neuroscience was the theme of this year’s highly successful Southern African Neuroscience Society (SANS) Symposium held in partnership with UKZN’s School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences (SLMMS) together with the Disciplines of Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Physiology.
The event was sponsored by the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO), the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), the ALBA Network and the UCT Neuroscience Institute.
SANS Chair Dr Rachael Dangarembizi welcomed local and international neuroscientists to the gathering where deliberations were focused on promoting and strengthening collaborations between basic, clinical and applied neurosciences.
Dangarembizi said: ‘Perhaps the greatest argument for the need for more translational and impactful research is the myriad of brain diseases Africa is currently facing, and the huge burden of disease on health systems and ultimately on economic development.’
The SANS Scientific Committee curated an engaging and thought-provoking scientific programme alongside numerous opportunities to meet and discuss the future of neuroscience in the African region and, perhaps most important, to network and socialise with like-minded people.
Headed by Dr Basil Enicker and based at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IACLH), UKZN’s Neurosurgery Department provides neurosurgery services for KwaZulu-Natal, including referrals from the Eastern Cape. The services include investigations, diagnosis and treatment of all conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord in both children and adults.
Enicker was part of the Organising Committee together with Head of Psychiatry, Professor Bonga Chiliza, and Deputy Chair of the Local Organising Committee Dr Zama Msibi – a neuroscientist and Physiology lecturer in the SLMMS – who delivered a compelling presentation on intracranial infections in HIV co-infected children in KwaZulu-Natal.
There was applause for oral presentations delivered by LMMS students Ms Kiara Rampershad who presented an IALCH investigated study titled: Surgical Outcomes of Patients with Hydrocephalus Secondary to Neurocysticercosis, and Mr Khanyiso Shangase for his study: Investigating the Effects of a Schizophrenic Double Hit Model on Social Withdrawal and Aggression in a Male Sprague Dawley Rat.
Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital CEO Dr Jimmy Mthethwa welcomed delegates that had attended a stimulating Mental Health Leadership Pre-Symposium Workshop held the previous day at the facility in KwaMashu Township, where leading experts shared inspiring reports and actionable insights.
Multidisciplinary speakers at the event included the Interim Dean of the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, Professor Leanard Marais; former Dean and Head of the SLMMS Professor Willie Daniels, and President and CEO of the YMCA on Florida’s First Coast in the United States since 2011, Mr Eric Mann.
Executive Director, at the South African Medical Research Council Professor Angie Mathee spoke on Leadership in Transformation at the Council.
The final keynote presentation of the main symposium was delivered at the gala dinner by John Hopkins University’s Assistant Professor Christopher Krupenye. It was titled: The Social Minds of Humans and Other Apes.
In closing, Msibi acknowledged all delegates, sponsors and especially her collaborators, Enicker and Chiliza, who she said inspired, encouraged, and supported the shared vision of bridging the gap between clinical and basic science research.
Msibi said the ‘real hero’ behind fostering collaboration was the Dean and Head of UKZN’s SLMMS, Professor Musa Mabandla.
Words: Lunga Memela
