Estrogen Receptors: New Directions in the New Millennium

New Directions for the New Millennium

Estrogens Receptors-New Players in Spermatogenesis

The mammalian testis is a complex organ that serves two important functions, synthesis of steroids, with significant amount of estrogenic hormones produced and production of spermatozoa. Estrogen receptors (ERs) are expressed in cells of the testis as well as the epididymal epithelium. We have demonstrated that estrogen receptor expression is higher in reproductive tissues as compared to non-re...

The new millennium.

Inherited neurodegenerative diseases, characterised by progressive symptoms and a lengthy disease course, present a significant economic and psychological burden to affected families. The Department (now Division) of Human Genetics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has a long history of research into these conditions, beginning under the leadership of Prof. Peter Beighton in 1972. This resea...

Psychiatry in the New Millennium.

Psychiatry enters the new millennium grappling with complexity at many levels. Gone are many simple ideas, for example, that there is “a gene for schizophrenia” or “a gene aggression”. Gone are simple ideas that related single neurotransmitters to mental disorders. Gone too are the ideas that correlated circumscribed brain regions with particular cognitive or emotional functions. Instead behavi...

The New Millennium

My interest in inherited eye disease was initiated at the genetic outreach clinics conducted by the University of Cape Town (UCT) Department of Human Genetics at schools for visually and hearing-impaired children in the Western Cape. As a clinical registrar from 1992 to 1998, I accom panied Prof. Peter Beighton on numerous clinics, where I developed a fascination for understanding the genetic m...