Time to celebrate after years of juggling

When Thulisa Mkatazo graduates with her MSc from the University of Cape Town (UCT) on 9 September, it will be the culmination of several “tough and intense” years of juggling her academic work with a demanding job on campus.

Thulisa, a senior technical officer in the Division of Cell Biology in the Department of Human Biology, took the unconventional and challenging path of conducting the research for her MSc part-time while working full-time in the department.

Graduation day will be the day she finally celebrates her achievements properly, she said in an interview. “When I received my results, I held off on celebrating until I graduate. I know I’ll be really excited on the day. The big cloud over my head will disappear! It was a big deal working while studying.”

Researching a rare form of osteoarthritis

In her MSc research, Thulisa focused on developing a stem-cell-based model of a rare form of osteoarthritis found only in the Maputaland region of KwaZulu-Natal. She did this by using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that had been reprogrammed from skin cells of African patients. (Pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into any cell type in the body, except those that form the placenta or other extraembryonic tissues).

The disease, Mseleni Joint Disease (MJD), is a crippling bone and joint disorder that occurs in significant numbers of the indigenous population in the remote region, Mseleni.

According to the abstract of Thulisa’s work: “The most affected joints are the hip, and early developmental abnormalities lead to secondary osteoarthropathy.

“Autoradiographs show irregularities and fragmentation of the joint epiphyses (end parts of a long bone) in the early stage of MJD. Over time, erosion of the articular cartilage leads to fibrillation and flaking that ultimately exposes the bone. Despite extensive epidemiological, anthropological and genetic investigations, and studies on the local environment, diet and mineral deficiencies, the cause of MJD is still unknown.”

Mimicking the disease in culture to learn more about it

Thulisa said the “million-dollar question” is why MJD is only found in this particular region. “People have done studies on the water, environmental factors, plants and a few genetic studies to see what’s different in that environment and there’s no clear answer. My task was to try and mimic the disease in culture to look at the differences between control samples and people affected with the disease.”

Thulisa, who grew up in Cape Town and matriculated in 2007 from the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) in Khayelitsha, completed her honours in the Division of Cell Biology in 2016.

After graduating, and not sure which path she should follow, Thulisa started exploring opportunities in the Division of Cell Biology. “I shadowed students in the cancer lab and later joined the stem cell group for an internship, where my passion for stem cell research began.”

A passion born in the lab

She joined the department as an intern in 2014, became a research lab assistant in 2015, and took time off to complete her honours. She became a technical officer in 2017 and registered for her MSc part-time in 2019.

Her role as senior technical officer involves covering day-to-day lab operations. She also manages one of the core postgraduate research labs in the division and supports four principal investigators and multiple MSc and PhD students.

“Seeing the real-life context through her work made the project really meaningful to me.”

Interest in her research topic was piqued while she assisted a PhD student who was being supervised by Professor Victoria Gibbon, a biological anthropologist, and co-supervised by Dr Robea Ballo, a cell biologist in the department.

“The student conducted the cell biology and the anthropological aspects of the study. She travelled to Mseleni regularly and interacted directly with some of the patients. My role was on the cell biology side. Hearing her experiences and seeing the real-life context through her work made the project really meaningful to me,” said Thulisa.

“The project was so interesting that I decided to also take on a few samples for my own MSc as part of the larger study.”

A sacrifice worth making

Thulisa, who submitted her thesis in February this year, said it took her longer than originally planned. “I was determined not to lag in my work while finishing the master’s. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make.”

She added: “One of the examiners of my thesis said that to complete my project must have required a lot of resilience, patience, and systematic troubleshooting ability, and I fully agree. I like to think I’m resilient and persistent, and I am also used to working under pressure and juggling multiple responsibilities in my job, so I could apply the same skills to my MSc.

“I am really passionate about the field and may one day take the leap and do a PhD.”

“Balancing a stem-cell-related MSc project while working full-time was not easy, but I managed through careful planning and time management. I often worked on my MSc after hours, during weekends, and on public holidays, and I made sure to use any available quiet moments at work to do some work. I also had to use my leave days, as some experimental work needed more time than just the weekends and public holidays. Lastly, I had amazing colleagues and supervisors who provided enormous support during this time.”

The indispensable support of family

What also got her through was the support of her family, especially her mother, Nomnono Mkatazo, with whom Thulisa lives. “She is even more relieved than I am, as I haven’t been available to do errands with her on Saturdays. She’s so happy to have me back,” said Thulisa. “My mother made sure I was on track, as did my supervisor, and our monthly progress meetings, where support and guidance were always available.”

Now that the MSc challenge is behind her, Thulisa hopes to spend more time with family and friends, hiking and reading. “My main focus will be on my job, which I'm already dedicated to, while taking time for personal growth and spiritual well-being. Finding balance in my life is something I want to reconnect with and maintain moving forward.”

Over the long term, she added, she’d like to keep building on her work in stem cell research. “I am really passionate about the field and may one day take the leap and do a PhD.”