Ndivhuwo Muvhulawa, a PhD student in Biochemistry at the North-West University (NWU), Mahikeng Campus, received a fellowship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to conduct research at the Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo from January to September.

Ndivhuwo is under the supervision of Professor SE Mazibuko-Mbeje. Her doctoral research is titled “Role of oxidative stress and inflammation during the development of sarcopenia in type 2 diabetes.” Sarcopenia is a condition where skeletal muscles shrink over time, leading to frailty, falls and functional decline. The study investigates the links among inflammation, redox imbalance and skeletal muscle degeneration in type 2 diabetes, with a focus on cytokine signalling pathways, oxidative damage markers and muscle protein turnover.

“The fellowship gives me access to laboratory infrastructure and expertise for my research,” said Ndivhuwo. “It will help me refine experimental design and data interpretation.”

She said the research stay will support internationalisation through academic ties between the NWU and Urbino, with scope for joint supervision, publications and exchanges through Erasmus programmes. “My stay will build ties between the NWU and Urbino and support joint supervision and publications,” she said.

Ndivhuwo added that success in international fellowships reflects the standard of postgraduate research at the university. “The award shows that NWU postgraduate research meets standards and prepares students to compete for fellowships,” she said. “Mentorship and institutional support help students submit competitive applications.”

She hopes to return with laboratory skills for medical reporting and to form collaborations that can lead to joint research projects and training workshops. “I will bring laboratory skills for medical reporting and collaborations, and I want to inspire postgraduate students to seek opportunities abroad,” she said.

 PhD student Ndivhuwo Muvhulawa will conduct research on sarcopenia in type 2 diabetes at the University of Urbino through an MAECI fellowship.