The University of the Free State (UFS) invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Pharmacology, AMIDT Research Platform. Candidates with a research interest and experience in ethnopharmacology, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences and molecular pharmacology, with special research interest in natural medicines drug discovery and development are encouraged to apply. Candidates with proven experience in pharmacology research methodologies preclinical and mechanistic studies would be considered.  Candidate with experience in molecular pharmacology, biochemistry for herbal drug discovery are encouraged to apply.  Applicants whose PhD degrees are 5 years and older may not apply. The post is based in Bloemfontein South Africa.   

The fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis, taking into account the applicants’ academic achievements, publication outputs and research potential, as well as the relevance of prior experience and expertise. The fellowship is available for a period of two years, renewable for up to maximum of five years subject to satisfactory performance.   Potential candidates may be interviewed.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Open to all South African and foreign nationals for full-time research based at the University if the Free State.
• Graduated with a PhD degree in a relevant discipline within the last three years
• Successful applicants may not hold full-time salaried employment during the fellowship
• Successful applicants must be able to relocate to the UFS for the duration of the fellowship. This is a residential fellowship: the successful applicant is required to spend 100% of her/his postdoctoral period at the UFS.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WILL BE REQUIRED TO:

• Conduct innovative research in the following areas: Pharmacology research, ethnopharmacology, analytical pharmacology drug discovery and development as well as assist in teaching and training of Pharmacology postgraduate students and participate in all departmental academic programs and activities.
• Author/co-author at least three (3) publications outputs per year in the form of DHET– accredited scholarly journal articles or books/chapters in books. The renewal of the fellowship beyond the first year depends on satisfactory performance and the submission of an annual progress report.
• Initiate projects and seek funding for them

Register and reside as postdoctoral research fellow at the UFS and participate in relevant activities of the School of Postgraduate Studies and the Directorate of Research

VALUE OF THE FELLOWSHIP

• R 300 000 annual fellowship
• R 30 000 additional research expenses fund

To apply, please email the following documentation to departmental email: MatsabisaMG@ufs.ac.za

• Motivation letter, including a 1-2 page outline of relevant expertise and experience with evidence of the experience in post applied for
• Full CV including a list of research publications, conference papers and other scholarly outputs
• Certified copy of doctoral degree certificate
• Copy of ID document (or copy of passport in the case of foreign applicants)
• Contact details of two contactable academic referees who have taught/supervised the candidate.

Closing date: September 30, 2024

Commencement of fellowship: 1 November 2023 or ASAP

For enquiries please contact:

Professor Motlalepula G. Matsabisa

Office: 0027514017452

E-mail:  MatsabisaMG@ufs.ac.za

14 AUGUST 2023 | STORY ANDRÉ DAMONS | PHOTO ANDRÉ DAMONS

Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, an African traditional medicine expert and Director of the Department of Pharmacology, will attend the summit after being invited to serve as a member of the Summit External Advisory Group for the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit, as well as in his capacity as co-chair of the WHO Global Traditional Medicines Centre and as chair of the WHO Regional Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicines for COVID-19. Prof Matsabisa will deliver a presentation on traditional medicines and intellectual property in a session titled ‘Regulations, intellectual property and implementation: Ensuring patient safety and economic efficiency in developing and adopting innovations in TM to healthcare’.

The WHO will hold its Traditional Medicine Global Summit on 17 and 18 August 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, alongside the G20 health ministerial meeting. The summit is organised by the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine collaborating closely with WHO major offices.

Tea, medicine, and laboratories on show

Vusi Paul Ncume, a master’s student in pharmacology and practicing traditional health practitioner, and Tebogo Machethe, Director for Innovation and Contracts in the UFS Directorate of Research Development (DRD), will attend the summit alongside Prof Matsabisa. 

Macheche will take part in a session on ‘Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Equitable Sharing of Benefits derived from utilization of Indigenous knowledge’. The summit has also approved and supported the participation of Thobeka Kentane, an experienced traditional health practitioner with a legal background. She is also a member of the UFS Pharmacology working group of experts, headed by Prof Matsabisa, which is reviewing South Africa’s main medicines act and drafting recommendations around a regulatory framework for commercial production of South African traditional medicines. 

“We will also be exhibiting our laboratories and work undertaken in these laboratories,” Prof Matsabisa said. “More importantly, this is to showcase the science behind the products. The products we are exhibiting includes our medicines – PHELA for immune reconstitution, and now repurposed for COVID-19 and long COVID. We will also show the science and the research and development undergone to get PHELA where it is. This will include all scientific publications of PHELA.  

“Secondly, we will also exhibit our new entrants to the market – our indigenous health teas products. Pharmacology will be introducing six totally new health teas into the market, and we will showcase their medicinal benefits scientifically endorsed by the African Medicines Innovation and Technology Development Platform (AMITD) and Pharmacology. We market these teas as ‘Drinking tea for a reason, not because it is teatime’. These teas will shake the tea industry market. So, we are introducing these products into the global market.” 

Purpose of the summit

According to Prof Matsabisa, the objective of the summit is to catalyse political commitment and collective action towards the evidence- and equity-based integration and equal co-existence of traditional medicine for the health and wellbeing of people and the planet. There will be 350 WHO-invited participants and a further 200 Government of India-invited participants. The event will also be live-streamed. 

“At the end of the WHO Traditional Medicines Summit, I hope that serious and practical resolutions will be taken around the aspects of contribution of traditional medicines into integrated health, into the planetary health, as well as application in overall health and wellbeing. 

“I hope to see more serious attention being given to traditional medicines research support, traditional medicine’s contribution to health systems and traditional medicine’s contribution to formal economies in Africa. I hope for the mutual acceptance of well researched, quality, safe, and effective traditional medicinal products sold and used across the six WHO regions, with little bottlenecks. India holds the current G20 Presidency, and next year the G20 Presidency is Brazil and South Africa. So, I hope that the resolutions made at the August G20 will then be carried over by the next G20 Presidency.”

Link: t https://www.ufs.ac.za/templates/news-archive-item/campus-news/2023/august/ufs-exhibits-products-and-services-at-who-traditional-medicine-global-summit