Background: Home to around 7.7 million HIV positive individuals, South Africa holds 20% of the global HIV population. HIV presents many challenges, such as stigmatization, …
A social-contextual approach to health promotion includes exploration of the influence of faith leaders and religious communities in health behaviors and outcomes. This thesis reports …
Recent studies characterizing the pathology and immune response to COVID-19 have shown a link between both hyperactivation of the immune system and increased inflammation with …
For patients with acute or chronic liver disease associated with liver failure, liver transplantation is the only available treatment; however, the limited supply of donor …
Fungal infections present a significant and evolving threat to human health. The SARS-COV-2 pandemic demonstrated how human fungal pathogens can target immunocompromised individuals, resulting in …
The MuSK-BMP pathway is an important regulator of adult stem cell proliferation, and the immunoglobulin-like 3 domain (Ig3) of the MuSK receptor is required for …
KMT2A-translocations are seen in 5-10% of patients with leukemia, but it is present in approximately 50% of pediatric AML diagnoses. Acute leukemias carrying chromosomal translocations …
Candida parapsilosis is a common cause of systemic fungal infections in immunocompromised adults and neonates. Infection typically occurs through the colonization of the skin, the …
The neutrophil is known as the first responder to bacterial infection, using oxidative and non-oxidative killing mechanisms to prevent pathogens from reproducing and causing further …
Wellness initiatives implemented by graduate medical education programs can help mitigate burnout in resident physicians. This systematic review seeks to identify factors that impact the …
Beta thalassemia minor is a genetic blood condition routinely described to have no clinical impact, however, during pregnancy women with this condition can experience a …
C. parapsilosis is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that frequently colonizes the gastrointestinal tract in healthy humans, but can lead to serious yeast bloodstream infections in …
Background and aims: Liver transplantation is the only effective treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease, but long waiting times and shortage of donor livers …
Women with Marfan syndrome (MFS) and Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS), connective tissue disorders with genetic- predisposition for aortic dissection, have been reported to have a higher …
The biomechanical causation of knee osteoarthritis (knee OA) by obesity is a widespread assumption in the literature, but is such an assumption empirically founded? Reflecting …
Background: Despite growing interest in the placenta’s epigenetic role in maternal-fetal connections, the effects of psychological and social experiences are still largely understudied. The combined …
Visual Perceptual Learning (VPL) is the ability to detect, discriminate, or identify visual information through training over a long period of time. While sleep has …
Previous research from the laboratory of Dr. John Sedivy has demonstrated that mice heterozygous for the transcription factor c-Myc (Myc+/-) live significantly longer and have …
When facing the end of life, many experience feelings of fear, grief, powerlessness, remorse, a loss of self, and a growing desire for meaning (Wholihan …
