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20 September 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Stephen Collett
Send off
The spirited #UFSRun4MentalHealth runners at the send-off ceremony yesterday morning. From left; Nico Piedt, with the baton of hope; Justin Coetzee, Brenda Coetzee, and Teboho Rampheteng.


#UFSRun4MentalHealth team, sponors and support staff

#UFSRun4MentalHealth team, sponsors and support staff. Photo:Stephen Collett

The #UFSRun4MentalHealth awareness runners have hit the road. The 21-member team from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Organisational Development at the University of the Free State (UFS) had a send-off ceremony yesterday, 20 September 2019, on their running journey to Stellenbosch University (SU) to raise awareness for #MentalHealth. The teams will run a distance of 1 075 km. 

“The two causes emphasised by this run are very much embedded in what the university stands for. One of the key priorities is the safety and well-being of our staff and students,” said Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, during the send-off this morning.
 
The route is as follows: Bloemfontein, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, Luckhoff, Vanderkloof, Petrusville, Phillipstown, De Aar, Britstown, Victoria West, Loxton, Fraserburg, Sutherland, Ceres, Wellington, and finally Stellenbosch University.

There will be a symbolic hand-over of the baton of hope to SU on 25 September 2019 at 13:00 at the Coetzenburg Stadium. The baton of hope that the team will carry is a symbol of hope for those suffering from a mental disorder.

Join their journey on our social-media platforms and follow the events with #UFSRun4MentalHealth #YourStoryIsNotOverYet. 

The sponsors of this initiative are BestMed, Standard Bank, Shell, Annique Health and Beauty, Xerox, Bidvest Car Rental, Media24, Kloppers, New Balance, Clover, Futurelife, Mylan, Pharma Dynamics, and the SA Society of Psychiatrists.


#UFSRun4MentalHealth #YourStoryIsNotOverYet #MentalHealth

Baton of hope handover
Baton of hope handover
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runner
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runner
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runner
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runner
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runner
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runner
#UFSRun4MentalHealth handing over the baton of hope
#UFSRun4MentalHealth handing over the baton of hope
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners on the road
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners on the road
Meeting fellow Kovsies on our route. Glodean Silengile, Kovsie third-year Corporate Marketing Communication student, Lathitha Silengile, sister, and Freddy Silengile, father.
Meeting fellow Kovsies on our route. Glodean Silengile, Kovsie third-year Corporate Marketing Communication student, Lathitha Silengile, sister, and Freddy Silengile, father.
#MentalHealthAwareness in all the towns
#MentalHealthAwareness in all the towns
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners
#UFSRun4MentalHealth runners
#UFSRun4MentalHealth
#UFSRun4MentalHealth

News Archive

New research informs improved treatment of brain inflammation
2017-10-13

Description: Sebolai and Ogundeji Tags: Microbiologist, Dr Adepemi Ogundeji,  

Dr Adepemi Ogundeji, researcher in the Department of Microbial,
Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the
University of the Free State,and Dr Olihile Sebolai,
her study leader from the same department.
Photo: Charl Devenish



Microbiologist Dr Adepemi Ogundeji has uncovered a new use for an old medicine that can potentially save lives and money. Under the guidance of her study leader, Dr Olihile Sebolai, Dr Ogundeji set out to fight a fungal disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. Drs Ogundeji and Sebolai are from the University of the Free State Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology. 

Dr Ogundeji is passionate about education. “My aim will always be to transfer knowledge and skills in the microbiology field,” she said. “Dr Ogundeji’s study is celebrated in that it found a new purpose for existing medicines. An advantage of repositioning old medicines is by-passing clinical trials, which sometimes take 20 years, and the safety of such medicines is already known,” Dr Sebolai, explained.

Cryptococcus infections are difficult to control and often lead to brain inflammation. In layman’s terms: “Your brain is on fire”. People with HIV/Aids are especially vulnerable, surviving only about three months without treatment. Such patients may present with a Cryptococcus-emergent psychosis, and some with an out-of-control inflammatory condition when initiated on ARVs. 

Dr Ogundeji found that the clinically recommended dosage of aspirin (anti-inflammatory medicine), and quetiapine (anti-psychotic medicine) is sufficient to control the infection. Her exceptional work was readily published in some of the foremost journals in her field, namely, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and Frontiers in Microbiology

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