{"id":122755,"date":"2025-11-08T18:07:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T18:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/122755\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T18:07:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T18:07:14","slug":"limpopo-mirror-news-dr-murendeni-khubanas-medical-journey-shaped-by-traditional-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/122755\/","title":{"rendered":"Limpopo Mirror | News | Dr Murendeni Khubana\u2019s medical journey shaped by traditional medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dr Murendeni Nethengwe Khubana from Maniini, near Thohoyandou,\u00a0 recently received her PhD\u00a0 in biomedical\u202fscience. Photo supplied.<\/p>\n

For Dr\u202fMurendeni\u202fNethengwe Khubana from Maniini, near Thohoyandou, the path to her PhD began long before she entered a laboratory \u2014 it started at home, surrounded by the natural remedies of her childhood.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI grew up where traditional medicine is widely used,\u201d she said. \u201cMy mother always prepared and sold herbal products. Watching her sparked my curiosity about how plants can heal.\u201d<\/p>\n


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That early exposure to indigenous healing ultimately inspired her academic journey at the Cape\u202fPeninsula\u202fUniversity\u202fof\u202fTechnology (CPUT), where she earned a Doctor\u202fof\u202fPhilosophy in\u202fbiomedical\u202fscience. Her thesis explored how compounds found in\u202fSenna\u202fplants might assist in managing diabetes\u2011related male infertility.<\/p>\n


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For Dr Khubana, the work was deeply personal. \u201cI wanted to prove that traditional medicine can be scientifically tested and trusted,\u201d she explained. \u201cOur communities have always relied on nature for healing, and I wanted to bridge that wisdom with modern science.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Her journey was not without challenges. Balancing her studies, family responsibilities and personal struggles pushed her to the edge. \u201cThere were times I felt like giving up,\u201d she admitted. \u201cBut I remembered where I came from and why I started. I wanted to make my family and my community proud.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Dr Khubana is currently doing postdoctoral research at the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NMRI) at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, but she\u00a0continues to apply her scientific knowledge in a clinical setting while remaining passionate about promoting the responsible use of natural remedies.<\/p>\n


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\u201cNature has always been my classroom,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we respect what the earth gives us, we can find answers to many of today\u2019s health problems.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u201cI\u2019m just a girl from Maniini who followed her curiosity,\u201d she added softly. \u201cAnd that curiosity led me all the way here.\u201d<\/p>\n


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[The article was edited to include\u00a0Dr Khubana’s current place of work.)<\/p>\n

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