Keitumetse Masisi
keitumetse.masisi@mopipi.ub.bw
Ms Keitumetse B. Masisi graduated from the University of Botswana in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science. She was in clinical practice for 4 years working as a general Laboratory technician. In 2013 Ms Keitumetse joined the University of Botswana as a staff Development Fellow and in 2014 she commenced a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science (Cellular pathology) at the University of the West of England, United Kingdom. In her research project she looked at the effect of Oestrogen in colorectal cancer cell lines. She is currently teaching two modules; Biology of Disease and Molecular Diagnostics in Cytology and Histology to BSc Cytotechnology and Histotechnology students. Her research interest is on the molecular pathology of breast cancer.
Paul Motshome
Paul Motshome graduated from the University of Botswana with a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree in 2003. Upon completion, he worked at the Mahalapye District Hospital and later Scottish Livingstone Hospital as nursing officer between 2003 and 2009. He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree completed from the University of Limpopo- RSA in 2011 and he is currently pursing Doctor of Philosophy in Population Studies from University of Botswana. Motshome currently works at University of Botswana Health and Wellness Centre as a Health Education Officer and is also a Research Fellow- PEO Project for 2017/18.
Thandi Katlholo
Thandi Katlholo currently serves as a Country Coordinator for Botswana on the Tuberculosis in the Mining Sector in Southern Africa (TIMS) Programme, where she works with the National Tuberculosis programme to create a coordinated response to TB and related illnesses affecting mineworkers, ex-mineworkers, their families and communities. In addition, she serves as a Public Health Practitioner for the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Botswana, where she initiated the Tuberculosis (TB) and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) concepts focusing on the link between TB and Diabetes, TB and Alcohol and TB and Silicosis. Thandi holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Salford (UK) and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health with Walden University (US). She successfully completed a post graduate fellowship in Global Health Leadership with the University of Washington in 2014. These early experiences inculcated in her a spirit of social responsibility that has been the basis for her work towards addressing the double burden of Communicable diseases and Non Communicable diseases in Botswana and southern African region. Through the PEO fellowship programme, Thandi continues to expand my expertise and aims to gain hands on participation in accelerating policy impact NCD-related research relevant to Southern Africa and contribute to generating baseline data to guide development of priority NDCs policies and guidelines in Botswana.
Dr. Boitumelo Tau
Dr Boitumelo Mingie Tau holds a Doctor of Dental Medicine Master’s Degree (MDDr) from Charles University- First Faculty of Medicine (Czech Republic). She also holds various graduate degrees including a Master’s Degree in Global Public Health and Policy from Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom; Diploma in HIV/AIDS Management from Stellenbosch University in South Africa as well as a Certificate in Leadership and Management training for health care managers from University of Cape Town, South Africa. She has extensive clinical experience gained through work as a Dental Surgeon at Princess Marina Hospital where she currently based. Her responsibilities among others entail provision of clinical care and implementation of various quality improvement initiatives. She has program management skills and experience gained from work at the Ministry of Health and Wellness Headquarters; where she was responsible for coordination of all national disease surveillance activities. Boitumelo is part of various technical working groups such as Primary Health Care Revitalization, National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and HIV/Tuberculosis/Sexual and Reproductive Health Integrated Curriculum for healthcare workers. Her focus currently is in reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through evidence based interventions and likewise her research interests are in NCDs particularly cancers.
Dr Onkabetse Molefe-Baikai
onkabetse.molefe-baikai@mopipi.ub.bw
Dr O. J Molefe-Baikai is a Specialist Physician (Internal Medicine). Dr Molefe-Baikai obtained Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery & Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences from the University of Ghana. Passionate about adult medicine and the desire to offer more and care for adult patients at a higher level, the decision to specialise came naturally and she went on to specialise in internal medicine. She was the first to graduate from the MMed programme of the University of Botswana School Of Medicine. During her speciality training, she did subspecialty rotations at the University of Capetown and was awarded the Fellowship of the College of Physicians of South Africa. Her clinical interests include all aspects of general Internal medicine, with particular interests in cardiology and endocrine medicine; especially the comprehensive medical care of patients with diabetes mellitus. She is currently employed as a lecturer at the University of Botswana and is involved mainly in cardiovascular research. She is currently the national leader and the Principal investigator in Botswana of the multinational, multi-centre INVICTUS clinical trial.
Dr Segametsi Maruapula
Dr Segametsi D. Maruapula is a Senior Lecturer and current Head of Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, the University of Botswana. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate students. From 1998 to 2015, she was a lecturer in the department of Family & Consumer Sciences, where she taught undergraduate students. Earlier Dr Maruapula was employed by the Ministry of Health initially as a nutritionist and later as a Senior Health Officer, where her work focused on training health cadres in nutrition, developing nutrition information and communication materials, and educating the general public on good nutrition. Dr Maruapula received her B.S. in Dietetics from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; her M.Ed. in Human Nutrition from Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. Dr Maruapula has published research in the areas of adolescent obesity and nutrition of the elderly. Currently, she is engaged in collaborative research effort in adult nutrition and child nutrition. In child nutrition, the team is investigating the Iron and Vitamin A Children Status of Under 5 Years using Isotopes Techniques.