Siphiwe Dlamini

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Dr Siphiwe Dlamini is a Lecturer in the Department of Physiology at the University of the Witwatersrand and holds a PhD in Paediatrics (2021) and an MSc in Biochemistry from the University of KwaZulu‑Natal. He is an NRF Y2‑rated researcher whose work sits at the intersection of public health, nutrition, and cardiometabolic disease risk.
His research programme addresses two interlinked themes. The first focuses on nutrition and food policy, with particular emphasis on food insecurity and food and beverage nutrition labelling in South Africa. Through nationally representative studies, his work provides policy‑relevant evidence on the health, behavioural, and mental health implications of poor food environments, contributing directly to public and regulatory discourse on food labelling reform.
The second research theme investigates biological mechanisms underlying cardiometabolic disease risk, with a specific focus on body composition. His work examines the independent and interactive roles of body fat distribution and skeletal muscle mass in the development of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and related non‑communicable diseases, particularly in African populations. This research integrates advanced body composition methods and biomarker analyses to address gaps in cardiometabolic risk stratification beyond BMI.
Dr Dlamini leads the Chronic Disease Risk Lab, supporting a growing cohort of postgraduate students and interdisciplinary collaborations. His research has resulted in sustained first‑ and senior‑author publications in international journals and has attracted competitive grant funding. Collectively, his work contributes novel, contextually grounded evidence to both population‑level nutrition policy and mechanistic understanding of cardiometabolic disease risk in low‑ and middle‑income settings.

Experience

  • 2023–present
    Lecturer, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand
  • 2021–2023
    Postdoctoral research fellow, University of the Witwatersrand

Education

  • 2021 
    University of the Witwatersrand , PhD (Paediatrics)
  • 2015 
    University of KwaZulu-Natal, MSc (Biochemistry)
  • 2013 
    University of KwaZulu-Natal, BSc honours (Biochemistry)
  • 2012 
    University of KwaZulu-Natal, BSc (Biochemistry and Microbiology)

Publications

  • 2023
    Food insecurity and coping strategies and their association with anxiety and depression: a nationally representative South African survey, Public Health Nutrition
  • 2023
    The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns on Alcohol Consumption and Tobacco Smoking Behaviour in South Africa: A National Survey, European Addiction Research
  • 2023
    Association between socio-economic status and non-communicable disease risk in young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, Scientific Reports
  • 2023
    The impact of HIV and ART exposure during pregnancy on fetal growth: a prospective study in a South African cohort., BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
  • 2022
    The prevalence of probable depression and probable anxiety, and associations with adverse childhood experiences and socio-demographics: A national survey in South Africa, Frontiers in Public Health
  • 2022
    Social vulnerability and its association with food insecurity in the South African population: findings from a National Survey, Journal of Public Health Policy
  • 2022
    Targeted proteomics of appendicular skeletal muscle mass and handgrip strength in black South Africans: a cross-sectional study, Scientific Reports
  • 2022
    Should fast-food nutritional labelling in South Africa be mandatory?, South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition
  • 2021
    Glucocorticoids associate with cardiometabolic risk factors in black South Africans, Endocrine Connections
  • 2021
    Associations Between CYP17A1 and SERPINA6/A1 Polymorphisms, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Black South Africans, Frontiers in Genetics
  • 2020
    Comparative effects of commonly used commercially available non‐nutritive sweeteners on diabetes‐related parameters in non‐diabetic rats, Journal of Food Biochemistry
  • 2019
    Commercially available non-nutritive sweeteners modulate the antioxidant status of type 2 diabetic rats, Journal of Food Biochemistry
  • 2017
    Type 2 diabetes mellitus in African women, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice

Grants and Contracts

  • 2023
    The impact of living with HIV on body composition and cardiometabolic disease risk in middle-aged black South African men and women.
    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Wits Faculty of Health Sciences
  • 2022
    Proteomic profiling of body composition and associations with cardiometabolic risk factors in young black South African women.
    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding Source:
    South African Medical Research Council

Contact Siphiwe for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision