Head of Discipline: Prof W Daniels

Academic Co-ordinator: Mr M Tufts

Secretary: Mrs N Perumal

Tel: 031-260 7312
Fax: 031-260-7132
E-mail: perumaln@ukzn.ac.za  

Located in the E block of the Westville Campus, this Discipline possesses a staff complement of 12 academic and 9 technical support staff, and is part of the School of Medical Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences. In addition to servicing the Physiology requirements of the first three years of the 2001 MBCHB curriculum at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, the following programmes are offered by the Discipline of Physiology:

Bachelor of Medical Science in Human Physiology

• Bachelor of Medical Science Honours in Human Physiology
• Master of Medical Science in Human Physiology
• Master of Medical Science in Sports Medicine
• Doctor of Philosophy

The Division also services the Physiology courses in 1st and 2nd years of the nursing curriculum (B Nursing) Neurophysiology requirements of the M Med (Psychiatry) Part 1 course and offers assistance to registrars writing Part 1 courses of the College of Medicine.

In addition, service courses in Physiology are presented to students completing Health Science programmes in the Schools of Dentistry, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Physiotherapy, Sport Science & Optometry and Audiology, Occupational Therapy & Speech-language Pathology and BSc students in the B.Sc. (Biomedical Science) programme of the Faculty of Science.

Research foci of staff in the Division include:

• The pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension (molecular, endocrine and renal responses in the Dahl rat)
• The management of diabetic, renal and cardiovascular abnormalities with medicinal plants
• Exercise immunology (pro-inflammatory cytokine, adhesion molecule and acute phase response)
• Sports nutrition and hydration status of MBT riders
• Antioxidants and trace elements in oxidative stress
• Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical studies of scar tissue
• Medical education
• Epidemiology (lung function, exercise and health promotion)

Academic Staff

Professor WM Daniels - Professor, Head of  School
BSc (UWC), MSc, PhD (US), MBA (US)

Professor CT Musabayane - Professor
B Sc(Hons) (Herts)
PhD (Zimbabwe)

Professor ML Channa - Associate Professor
BSc (Hons), MSc, MDD. PhD (Durban-Westville)
HED (UNISA) 

Professor EM Peters-Futre - Associate Professor 
BA (Hons), STD (Stellenbosch)
BSc (Med) Hons, MSc(Med) (Cape Town)
PhD (Pretoria) 

Professor I Mackraj - Associate Professor
BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD (Durban-Westville)
Dr MV Mabandla - Senior Lecturer
BSc Med (Hons), Exercise Science (UCT), PhD (UCT)