Faheem Seedat

I am a clinical endocrinologist, having trained and practised in the South African healthcare sector. I completed my undergraduate medical degree at the University of the Witwatersrand, followed by specialist training in Internal Medicine and sub-specialist training in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism.

My Master’s in Medicine, also from the University of the Witwatersrand, investigated the effects of the widely used antiretroviral drug tenofovir on acute kidney injury in hospitalised HIV-positive patients, examining its impact on disease severity and clinical outcomes.

Currently based at the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health at the John Radcliffe Hospital and the Centre for Human Genetics, my DPhil research at the University of Oxford focuses on the molecular signalling pathways between the placenta and pancreatic islets. Specifically, I am investigating how placental hormones and extracellular vesicles (pEVs) influence maternal islet adaptation during pregnancy, both in physiological states and in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). My work also involves studying protein abundance in human islets from pregnant donors, with a particular emphasis on pregnancy-induced alterations in alpha and beta cells, as well as the expression and roles of prolactin receptors, the 5-HT₂B (serotonin) receptor, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This research aims to advance our understanding of placental contributions to maternal metabolic adaptations and the pathophysiology of GDM.

2023 EYES Research Observership Programme, European Society of Endocrinology