Dr Mandla Zatu

Dr Mandla Zatu
Department of Physiology

Dr. Mandla Zatu (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physiology with over 25 years of experience in higher education. He joined Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) in 2011, where he teaches Physiology to students across the medical, dental, science, and MMED programs.

Dr. Zatu’s primary research interests focus on hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, HIV infection, and their cardiovascular outcomes—particularly the role of lifestyle risk factors in predicting hypertension and diabetes in the Black population. His research aims to inform preventative strategies and improve health outcomes in underserved communities.

In addition to his scientific research, Dr. Zatu has a strong interest in medical education and is committed to enhancing teaching and learning in Health Professions Education (HPE). In pursuit of this goal, he enrolled in the MPhil in HPE program at Stellenbosch University in 2023, with the aim of applying evidence-based educational strategies to improve the academic experience at SMU.

Dr. Zatu also contributes to the academic community as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals and the Medical Research Council (MRC), and he is actively involved in postgraduate research supervision.