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Cephas Musabayane, 1948–2015
It is with sadness that we report the death of Prof Cephas
Musabayane, professor of physiology at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal, and leader of a team of researchers who
discovered a new method of administering insulin into the
bloodstream via a skin patch. The discovery could eventually
pave the way for diabetic patients to control their insulin levels in
a pain-free manner with reduced negative side effects.
Musabayane was born in Zimbabwe and when his academic
potential was recognised, he was sent to England to finish his
schooling. He obtained his BSc from Hertfordshire University
in the UK, and then returned to the University of Zimbabwe
where he obtained his MSc and PhD. He joined the University
of KwaZulu-Natal as professor of human physiology in 2003,
and served as head of the School of Medical Sciences for four
years.
Musabayane was an academic who was passionate about
teaching and research. He inspired his students and motivated
them to achieve success. His areas of research included diabetes,
malaria and renal physiology, and he obtained national and
international recognition for his work. He was a life fellow of the
Physiology Society of Southern Africa and a member of the US
and UK physiological societies.
In Africa, plants have always served as a dependable and
ever-ready source of medicines for the treatment of a plethora of
chronic and acute diseases. Traditional remedies have been used
for ailments such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arthritis and
erectile dysfunction, among others. In a search for plants with
the potential for use as effective and safe ethnomedical remedies
in the management of a range of human diseases, Musabayane
and colleagues subjected many African medicinal plants to
phytochemical and pharmacological investigation. They showed
that some African medicinal plants possess hypoglycaemic, anti-
inflammatory, analgesic and other pharmacological properties.
Musabayane published several articles in the
Cardiovascular
Journal of Africa
on the effects of medicinal plants on glucose
concentrations, renal function and blood pressure in normal
and diabetic laboratory animals. His aim was to develop some
of the existing African traditional remedies into scientifically
acceptable natural remedies that are affordable, safe and effective.
He believed that the goals of medicine, whether allopathic,
traditional or complementary, are the same, namely to benefit
patients therapeutically and improve their quality of life. He
hoped to help develop affordable, safe and effective natural
medicines for various human diseases.
In Memoriam