Tanya Nadine Augustine

I have always been fascinated by questions about who we are, where we came from and how our bodies developed through time to permit the wonderous experience of being alive! These ideas stimulated my academic interest in cell biology, biological anthropology and evolutionary studies, all of which contribute to my multidisciplinary approach to research. I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand.
For my research, my primary focus is generating experimental systems to investigate tumour biology and how immune and vascular parameters modulate different aspects of tumour progression. My familiarity with understanding bone histology and microstructure, as well as experimental systems from my cell biology background, led to my co-developing studies assessing microtrauma in bone. I am also fortunate to be part of a team assessing the presentation of palaeopathologies in the hominin record, studies of which highlight that neoplastic disease is not only a disease of modernity but speaks to dysregulation of cellular processes that are conserved in our evolutionary history.