Scientific Organising Committee
Dr Carla Antonio
Plant Metabolomics Lab, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Prof Sooraj Baijnath
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Dr Omolara Baiyegunhi
Africa Health Research Institute, South Africa
Dr Maria Banda
Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa
Prof Wout Bittremieux
University of Antwerp, Belgium
Prof Karl Burgess
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Dr Stefano Cacciatore
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Prof Tiziana Cappello
University of Messina, Italy
Prof Chioma Chikere
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Prof Ilse Du Preez
North-West University, Centre for Human Metabolomics, South Africa
Dr Benedicte Elena-Herrmann
Université Grenoble Alpes, France
Tracy Ferrao
Pathcare Laboratory
Dr Anna Halama
Weill Cornell Medicine, Qatar
Dr Mokgadi Hlongwane
Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa
Dr Olakunle Jaiyesimi
Harvard University, United States
Dr Judith Jans
University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands
Dr Fabien Jourdan
INRAE-MetaboHUB, France
Dr Khanyisile Kgoadi
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Dr Lungile Khambule
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Dr Mark Kimani
University of Embu, Kenya
Dr Motseoa Lephatsi
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Prof Du Toit Loots
North-West University, South Africa
Prof Roan Louw
North-West University, South Africa
Prof Laneke Luies
North-West University, South Africa
Dr Goitseone Malambane
Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Botswana
Dr Gabriel Mashabela
South African Medical Research Council, South Africa
Prof Shayne Mason
North-West University, South Africa
Dr Barbara Moyo
University of Venda, South Africa
Dr Daniel Mutithu
Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) Metabolomics Platform at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany | Cape Heart Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Dr Efficient Ncube
Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa
Dr Keabetswe Ncube
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr Aggrey Osogo
Kibabii University, Kenya
Ms Kgalaletso Othibeng
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr Okoth Patrick
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Prof Gerhard Prinsloo
University of Pretoria, South Africa
Prof Nicholas Rattray
University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
Prof Saheed Sabiu
Durban University of Technology, South Africa
Dr Palesa Seele
Mintek, South Africa
Dr Lungile Sitole
University of Cape Town, South Africa
Prof Paul Steenkamp
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr Fidele Tugizimana
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr Leonie Venter
North-West University, South Africa
Prof Peter Verhaert
Department of Imaging & Pathology, KU Leuven, Belgium
Prof Aurelia Williams
North-West University, South Africa
Dr Dylan Zeiss
Affiliation: Microsep
Lungile Khambule
University of the Witwatersrand
Lungile Khambule joined the Chemical Pathology Department, University of the Witwatersrand, in the year 2014 as a master’s student. After graduating with her master’s degree, she enrolled for a PhD with the project titled ‘Screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in an African population’. Ms Lungile has gained skills in research methodology, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. She has also been trained in untargeted metabolomics. Lungile has collaborated and co-authored research articles with several scientists in the Department of Chemical Pathology and other disciplines. She was awarded research funding from the Thuthuka NRF grant. She also received research funding from Mrs Judy Dlamini and sponsors through the Female Academic Leadership Fellowship. Throughout her career, Ms Lungile Khambule has received numerous accolades, including best oral and poster presentation at the SEMDSA congress 2022 and 2025, respectively. Her main interests are in Diabetes, maternal health, and biomarker discovery.