Research focus:

Using in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models to understand the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of adipose tissue dysfunction that link obesity to associated disease. My research also focuses on investigating the therapeutic potential of indigenous plant extracts, natural and pharmacological compounds against metabolic disease including obesity and diabetes.

Biography:

Babalwa obtained her BSc., BSc. Honours and MSc in Biotechnology from the University of the Western Cape. She joined BRIP in 2013 to pursue her PhD in Medical Physiology (University of Stellenbosch) under the supervision of Prof. Carmen Pheiffer. Her PhD research involved investigating and identifying phenolic compounds responsible for the anti-obesity effects of Cyclopia (honeybush) species. This involved using multi-disciplinary approaches including the in vitro and in vivo models to investigate the anti-obesity potential of polyphenol enriched Cyclopia extracts, and their mechanism of action using molecular techniques for gene and protein expression analysis. She currently holds a senior scientist position at BRIP and is involved in managing research projects and supervising/training post-graduate students. She is a recipient of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Thuthuka grant (2018-2020 and 2021-2023) which funds her current research. She has authored research publications and presented her work in local and international conferences.