DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Biomedical Sciences Department is one of the three departments at the Simon Mazorodze School of Medical and Health Sciences (SMSMHS). The department houses the prestigious Biomedical Sciences Degree program designed to include traditional and herbal medicine components in line with the Heritage-based Education 5.0 model to meet the needs of the communities and industries in Zimbabwe. The Department comprises five units which include: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Pathology, Physiology and Herbal Medicine and Pharmacology. Currently, the department offers two undergraduate programs: a Bachelor of Science General Degree and a BSc. Honors Degree in Biomedical Sciences, which is a prerequisite of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Honours Degrees. The department also offers postgraduate research programs: Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degrees. The MPhil and DPhil degrees are offered in the following areas: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, Chemical Pathology, Immunology, Medical Microbiology, Medical Analytics and Informatics. These programs were designed to capacitate graduates and enable them to transform and modernize the national health system. This will be made possible through the development of services, therapeutic products, drugs, vaccines, and appliances, for the management of health problems in the country. The department is involved in a number of research projects in health care as well as the development and production of technologies that contribute to the latest advances in medical science. This will in turn generate solutions in community-based projects that address local health needs to achieve universal health coverage targets by 2030.

 

Dr William Pote
Position: Chairperson

DPhil in Physiology (UZ),  BSc (Hons) in Human Physiology (UZ),  Registered Traditional Medical Practitioner (TMPC)

email: wpote@gzu.ac.zw

Tel:  +263773234621
 
Research Areas    
Basic and applied physiology, photochemistry, ethno pharmacology, toxicology, neuroscience, preclinical and clinical trials, natural products, nutraceuticals,
herbal pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and drug development, traditional, complementary and alternative medicines, medical innovations, communicable and non-communicable diseases, medicinal mushrooms, drug and substance abuse disorders.

DEPARTMENTAL SECRETARY

Ms. Shylet Murombo

Email: smurombo@gzu.ac.zw

BCom Honours Degree in Office Management

LECTURERS

 

NAME AND DESIGNATIONQUALIFICATIONSRESEARCH INTERESTS

PROF. MUDADI ALBERT BENHURA

Lecturer

Email:mabenhura@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: 0712805691

PhD -Warwick

MSc(Warwick),

BSc(UBLS),

Natural Plant Products

PROF. BARTHOLOMEW GUNDIDZA

Lecturer

Email.: bgundidza@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: 0772421464

PhD. Pharmacy – Nottingham University, UK.

M.Sc. Pharmacology (Plant Medicines) – Strathcylide University, UK

BSc. Hons in Chemistry and Biochemistry -Salford University, UK

Diseases

Cancer, High Blood Pressure,Diabetes, Arthritis, Inflammation, Parasites, Infectious and non-infectious diseases

Commercialisation (through value addition) of:

Indigenous vegetables and fruits,

Indigenous fibres,

Indigenous animal products,

Indigenous woody plants,

Beekeeping and bee products,

African indigenous Knowledge Systems(AIKS).

Adding Value to Mineral Resources;

Processing of Minerals,

Production of inorganic chemicals locally.

Agriculture;

Production of organic fertilizers,

Production of a new indigenous chicken,

Germplasm protection.

Rural industrialisation:

Creation of  ecovillages/ smart villages,

Technology Capacity Building in rural areas.

PROF. GILBERT MAWERE

Anatomist

Email: gilbert.mawera@gmail.com

Phone : 0772254132

DPhil/PhD*

MBChB,

MMedSc,

MMed Neurosurgery,

1. Wound Healing

2. Regenerative Medicine

3. Neuro-Economics

Dr. Shamiso Chowe

Pathologist

Email: shamisochowe@gmail.com

Phone: 0719566942

Masters in Medicine Histopathology

Diploma in Aviation Medicine

Diploma in Traditional

Chinese Medicine

Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery Degrees

Gynae Pathology and

Forensic Pathology

Dr Emilia Choto

Lecturer/School Research Chair

Email: echoto@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: +263 777 836 474

Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine) in Community Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Master of Science in Biotechnology, University of Zimbabwe, Harare

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Missouri Valley College, Missouri, US

Immunology

Public health

Infectious diseases

Genetics

Mr. Progress Dube

Lecturer

Email: pdube@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: +263775287233

M.Sc. Immunology and Vaccinology (UZ),

M.Sc. Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology NUST,

B.Sc. Hons Degree in Biochemistry (UZ)

Bioinformatics, Genomics, Glycobiology, Microbiology

Oleen Machona

Lecturer

Email: omachona@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: 0777710968

MSc Biotechnology, UZ

BSc. Hons. Biochemistry, UZ

Use of bioactive

phytochemicals

from medicinal plants in drug discovery and

product development

TROUBLE BURUKAI

Lecturer

Email: tbrukai@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: 0773398425

Masters in Medical Sciences Anatomy (UZ)

Masters in Biostatistics and Epidemiology (MSU)

BSc Human Anatomy(UZ),

Interests in Spartial Epidemiology more specifics  NCDs like Diabetes, Histology & Epidemiology.

Morris Govo

Lecturer (SDF)

Email: mgovo@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: 0773398425

MSc Medical Science Anatomy (UZ),
BSc Hons Degree in Intercalated Human Anatomy (UZ 2021),
BSc Hons Degree in Physiotherapy (UZ 2022)		orthopaedics
sports medicine and sports physiotherapy

MARVELLOUS MATSHEZA

Snr Lab Technician Anatomy/Histology

Email: mmtsheza@gzu.ac.zw

Phone :  0777037616

BSc Applied biosciences and biotechnology

Histology and microscopy

Human health and disease

Medical microbiology

Human anatomy

CHRISTINE MIDZI

Laboratory Technician- Biochemistry

Email:  cmidzi@gzu.ac.zw

Phone: 0779564880

Bachelor of science honours degree in biochemistry (uz)

Antimicrobial resistance,

Medical microbiology,

Genomics,

Virology,

Immunology

PHILIA MUCHINHAIRI

BSc HONORS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

BSc Honors In Biotechnology

pharmaceutical diagnostics

biopharmaceutical drug development

IAN MUTASA

Senior technician – Physiology Email : imutasa@elearning.gzu.ac.zw

Phone: 0 77 780 8375

Bsc Honours in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology

research

Drug design, Public health, drug pharmacology and toxicology;artificial intelligence

POSTGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS AND ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS

DPhil in Physiology

DPhil in Biochemistry

DPhil in Anatomy

DPhil in Chemical Pathology

DPhil in Immunology

DPhil in Medical Microbiology

DPhil in Clinical Pharmacology

DPhil in Herbal Medicine

DPhil in Medical Analytics and Informatics

MPhil in Anatomy

MPhil in Biochemistry

MPhil in Chemical Pathology

MPhil in Clinical Pharmacology

MPhil in Herbal Medicine

MPhil in Immunology

MPhil in Medical Analytics and Informatics

MPhil in Medical Analytics and Informatics

MPhil in Medical Microbiology

MPhil in Physiology