An interest in blood and veins, even from her school days, led Prof Muriel Meiring, Principal Scientist in the Department of Haematology and Cell Biology at the University of the Free State (UFS), on a journey of Thrombotic and Haemostatic Disorders.
Prof Meiring delivered her inaugural lecture themed Thrombotic and Haemostatic Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment which took place on Tuesday (25 June 2024) where she said she had never thought she would be a full professor one day. “I have always been interested in blood and veins. Somehow, even from school days, it has interested me and today I am going to take you on my journey of Thrombotic and Haemostatic Disorders: Diagnosis and the Treatment thereof,” she stared.
Research
Prof Meiring, who is also a Principal Scientist at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), talked about her research on Von Willebrand disease (VWD) a lifelong bleeding disorder in which your blood doesn't clot properly, tissue factor, thrombin and endothelial cells as well as extracellular vesicles that are released into the blood. She lifted the curtain on the future of diagnostic of Thrombotic and Haemostatic Disorders.
“I developed antithrombotic agents and diagnostic kits to treat and diagnose haemostatic and thrombotic disorders. In regard to the future of diagnostics, thrombin generation is still the important assay here. Thrombin generation assay provides much more information and the amount of thrombin that it generates as well as the level. This essay is, however, still not being used in South Africa,” Prof Meiring said.
According to her, the UFS Specialised Haemostasis Laboratory she established, will brings this assay to the fore because they will be able to diagnose thrombin disorders much better with better assays that provide more information.
Prof Meiring’s SANAS-accredited laboratory is the only one in South Africa that does all the diagnostic tests needed to accurately diagnose VWF, the most common bleeding disorder in South Africa for both the state and private laboratories. It was recently expanded to a Special Haemostasis Testing Facility and concluded a service level agreement between the UFS and the NHLS to increase diagnostic capability.
This laboratory also enjoys international recognition as a reference laboratory. She collaborates with laboratories in Belgium, Hungary, and Australia on research regarding the role of extracellular vesicles in thrombotic disorders.
Inventor
Prof Meiring, whose research laid the foundation for the innovative development of diagnostic assays, is the go-to person for VWD research and diagnosis in South Africa. She enjoys international recognition by the Von Willebrand factor multimeric analysis assay used by the RCPA for quality assurance programmes. Her research on the role of Von Willebrand factor in haemostatic disorders has led to collaborations with international and national laboratories. She found that the Von Willebrand factor plays a major role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and strokes.
She is the inventor of a South African patent and two provisional international applications and developed cost-effective assays to diagnose thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP), a thrombotic disorder and VWD.
pursued of knowledge
Introducing Prof Meiring, Acting-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof Nicolas Pearce, said this inaugural not only marks a personal milestone for Prof Meiring, but also a commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and the shaping of future minds. “Becoming a professor is not merely an achievement, but a responsibility to uphold the ideals of academia, advance the frontiers of human understanding and inspire a new generation of thinkers and innovators. As one steps into the role with a deep sense of purpose that each lecture, each research endeavour and each interaction with students carries the potential to make a meaningful impact.
“As we gather here, let us reflect on the transformative power of education as it is through education that we illuminate minds, challenge assumptions and foster critical thinking. Prof Meiring’s journey in academia has been shaped by passionate curiosity and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Prof Pearce.
Celebrate a life’s work
In his welcoming address, Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the UFS, said this is a significant milestone in an academic’s career. An inaugural, he continues, is a landmark event in academic life. It’s an occasion to celebrate a life’s work that culminates in the title of full professor which is an occasion of great significance in the career path of any academic.
“When we say a life’s work, we mean that there still remains much more work to accomplish as someone who begins the journey as professorship and professing a discipline and a body of knowledge.
“This occasion provides a wonderful platform to showcase and celebrate the university’s pride in the achievements of its academic staff and specially as the university aligns to our Vision 130. This is an institution that prides itself on conducting groundbreaking research through disciplinary, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and even transdisciplinary domains to address the challenges facing our society, country and event the globe,” Prof Reddy said.