Prince Group Team
Principal Investigator:
Sharon Prince, PhD
Professor in Cell Biology
Head of Division of Cell Biology
Department of Human Biology
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Cape Town
Room 6.05.1, Level 6, Anatomy Building
Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925
Telephone: +27-21-406 6240 (office) +27-21-
Staff scientist
Dr Jade Peres
Scientific officer
Dr Supratim Biswas
Postdoctoral scholars:
1. Dr Suparna Chakraborty May 2017-present
2. Dr Arul Jothi August 2018-present
3. Dr Shanel Swartz April 2019-present
Graduate students:
PhD
1. Ms Ana Popovic 2016 - present
2. Ms Alexis Neumann 2015-present
3. Ms Rehana Omar 2015-present
4. Mr Mohsin Khan 2016-present
5. Ms Victoria Damerell 2017-present
6. Mr Thato Medupe 2017-present
7. Mr Mihlali Mlaza 2018-present
8. Mr Abid Ali 2018-present
9. Mr Saif Khan 2020-present
MSc
1. Mr Luqmaan Mohamed 2017-present
2. Ms Michelle du Toit 2018-present
3. Ms Claire Bellis 2019-present
4. Ms Jessica Burns 2019-present (co-supervised with Prof Stefan Weiss, University of Witwatersrand)
5. Mr Karabo Serala 2018-present (co-supervised with Prof L Mampuru and Dr Vusi Mbazima, University of Limpopo)
6. Mr Philipp Ruess 2019-present
Lab Alumni:
BSc(Med)(Hons)
1. Ms Amaal Abrahams graduated with a first class December 2002
2. Ms Dheshnie Govender (co-supervised with Prof S.H. Kidson) graduated 2003
3. Ms Deeya Ballim graduated with a first class December 2004
4. Ms Kupela Clarke (co-supervised with A. Katz) graduated 2006
5. Ms Tepa Nkumbula (co-supervised with S.H. Kidson) graduated 2006
6. Ms Romaney Pinnock graduated with a first class December 2007
7. Ms Nancy Laguette (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) graduated 2008
8. Mr Viwayak Bhardway (co-supervised with Prof A. Katz) graduated 2008
9. Mr Yoonus Abrahams (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) graduated 2010
10. Ms Jennifer Auret (co-supervised with Prof Jeannine Heckmann) graduated 2010
11. Ms Shannagh Hare graduated with a first class December 2011
12. Ms Claudia Lewis graduated with a first class in December 2013
13. Ms Courtnee Clarke (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) December 2013
14. Ms Jenna Bleloch graduated with a first class December 2014
15. Mr Minkyu Lee graduated with a first class December 2014
16. Ms Danica Smuts graduated with a first class December 2014
17. Ms Joy-Mari Buys (co-supervised with Prof Jeannine Heckmann) graduated 2014
18. Ms Nawaal Luke (co-supervised with Prof M. Collins) graduated 2015
19. Ms Alexandra Glover graduated with a first class in 2016
20. Ms Kate Ross-Stewart graduated with a first class in 2016
21. Ms Shannon Smyly graduated with a first class in 2016
22. Ms Natasha Vangreunen graduated in 2016 (co-supervised with Prof J. Heckmann).
23. Ms Stephanie Ncube graduated in 2016 (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins).
24. Ms Brittany Amber Jacobs graduated with first class in 2016 (co-supervised with Dr K. Smith).
25. Mr Saif Khan graduated with first class in 2017 (co-supervised with Dr A. Ramburan).
26. Mr Jose de Faria graduated in 2019 (co-supervised with Dr Hapiloe Maranyane)
MSc
1. Ms Henriette Uwimpuhwe (Co-supervised with Drs Heckmann and Ballo), graduated with distinction in 2009.
2. Mr Yoonus Abrahams (co-supervised with Prof M. Collins) graduated December 2013.
3. Ms Jennifer Auret (co-supervised with Prof J. Heckmann) graduated December 2013.
4. Ms Shannagh Hare graduated with distinction 2013.
5. Ms Danica Smuts graduated with distinction 2016.
6. Ms Joy-Mari Buys graduated with distinction 2016 (co-supervised with Prof Jeannine Heckmann)
7. Mr George Cooper graduated July 2017 (co-supervised with Prof A. Katz).
8. Dr Ikponmwosa Irene graduated with distinction July 2017
9. Mr Irwin Cassells graduated with distinction July 2017 (co-supervised with A/Profs G Smith and AT Hutton, Chemistry UCT)
10. Ms Brittany Amber Jacobs (co-supervised with Dr Katie Smith) graduated December 2018
11. Ms Stephanie Ncube graduated with distinction December 2019
12. Ms Lilhe Moyakhe graduated December 2019
13. Mr Athi Welsh (co-supervised with A/Prof Greg Smith) will graduate in April 2020
PhD
1. Dr Huajian Teng 2004-2007, graduated in December 2007
2. Dr Amaal Abrahams MSc 2003-2004, upgraded to PhD 2005 and graduated 2007
3. Dr Emily Davis 2005-2009, graduated in December 2009
4. Dr Reyna Deeya Ballim MSc 2006-2007, upgraded to PhD 2008 and graduated 2011
5. Dr Aisha Pandor (Co-supervised with Prof Raj Ramesar) MSc 2007-2008, upgraded to PhD 2009 and graduated June 2012
6. Dr Jade Peres MSc 2008-2009, upgraded to PhD 2010 and graduated June 2013.
7. Dr Sabina Wansleben MSc 2008-2009, upgraded to PhD 2010 graduated in December 2013
8. Dr Saeb Aliwani 2011-2013, graduated in June 2014
9. Dr Jarod Li MSc 2009-2011, upgraded to PhD 2011 graduated in December 2014
10. Dr Nancy Laguette (co-supervised with Prof Malcolm Collins) MSc 2009-2010, upgraded to PhD 2011, graduated in June 2015
11. Dr Tarryn Willmer 2012-2015, graduated in December 2015
12. Dr Aretha Cooper MSc 2010-2011, upgraded to PhD 2012, graduated in June 2016
13. Dr Melissa Nel (co-supervised with Prof J. Heckmann) MSc 2012 – 2014, upgraded to PhD 2015, graduated in December 2016
14. Dr Sylvester Ifeanyi Omoruyi 2014-2018 (co-supervised with Dr OE Ekpo, University of the Western Cape), graduated in August 2018
15. Ms Jenna Bleloch MSc 2015, upgraded to PhD 2016, graduated July 2019
Postdoctoral Fellows
1. Dr Shaheen Mowla 2006-2009
2. Dr James Smith 2009-2010
3. Dr Emily Davis 2010
4. Dr Amaal Abrahams 2009-2011
5. Dr Wendy Kröger 2010-2012
6. Dr Deeya Ballim 2012- May 2015
7. Dr Jade Peres 2013-2016
8. Dr Tarryn Willmer 2016-2017
9. Dr Lawrence Mabasa 2016-2017
10. Dr Serah Kimani 2014-2017
11. Dr Hapiloe Maranyane July 2017-December 2019
12. Dr Supratim Biswas July 2019-September 2020
Research Officer
Dr Amaal Abrahams January 2012-December 2013
Visiting Researchers/Students/Interns
1. Mr Yoonus Abrahams (NRF intern) 2nd May 2013-30th April 2014
2. Ms Melanie Oesterle (student from Germany -practical training) August 2013-January 2014
3. Ms Marie-Sophie Bittner (Batchelor student from Technische Universität Berlin, Germany -practical training) September 2012-March 2013
4. Ms Eliza Mari Maliepaard (MSc student – Radboudumc, Netherlands) 6th January to 30th September 2015
5. Mr M.K. Harishankar (PhD student – SRM University, India) 15 February to 14th August 2015
6. Ms Ania Szmyd-Potapczuk (PhD student – University of the Western Cape) January 2014-2015
7. Ms Tanja Davis (PhD student – University Stellenbosch) December 2014-2015
8. Ms Asanda Matsheku (Hons student – University of Cape Town/ University of Johannesburg) September 2015 to January 2016
9. Mr. Ayodeji Adegoke (PhD student – University of Ibadan, Nigeria) May 2016 to August 2016
10. Ms Shivani Mitra (undergraduate student, Washington University in St. Louis, USA) May 2016 to July 2016
11. Ms Kenza Sayah (undergraduate student majoring in Biological Analysis, at the Technical University of Paris-East-Créteil (UPEC), France) April 2017 to 15 June 2017
12. Dr Nasir Al Awwad (Assistant Professor of Pathology, Albaha University, Saudi Arabia) 13th June to 29th August. 2017
13. Ms Bianca Del Bianco Sahm (PhD student – University of São Paulo, Brazil) 3 September 2017 to 29 September 2017
14. Dr Paula Cristine Jimenez (Assistant teacher, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil) 18 September 2017 to 29 September 2017
15. Ms Humaira Lambarey (NRF Intern) April 2017-April 2018
16. Ms Faatiemah Higgins (PhD student - University of Valencia, Spain) 3rd to 28th June 2019
17. Ms Bianca Del Bianco Sahm (PhD student – University of São Paulo, Brazil) 1 August 2018 to 30 June 2019
