​​Dr Frederic Nduhirabandi, a PhD student of the Division of Medical Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University was awarded the prize for the best publication by a postgraduate student by the Physiological Society of Southern Africa (PSSA).

The PSSA annually awards a prize for the best publication by a postgraduate student in a high impact, international peer-reviewed journal, in order to encourage postgraduate students to publish their data.

Nduhirabandi’s article, entitled “Short-term melatonin consumption protects the heart of obese rats independent of body weight change and visceral adiposity”, was published in the prestigious Journal of Pineal Research. It is based on the research done for his PhD degree under the supervision of Prof Amanda Lochner and the article was co-authored by Lochner, Profs Barbara Huisamen and Hans Strijdom.

Nduhirabandi, who hails from Rwanda, completed his undergraduate studies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after which he moved to South Africa to do his postgraduate studies. He obtained BSc Honours from the University of the Western Cape and thereafter joined SU to obtain his Master’s and Doctoral degrees.

Photo: Dr Frederic Nduhirabandi and Prof Amanda Lochner at the SU graduation ceremony where he received his Master’s degree

This article appeared in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' digital publication VIVUS. Visit www.sun.ac.za/FMHSpublications to subscribe.