Support

Since qualifying with an Honours degree in Human Movement Sciences from Wits University and then an Honours degree in Biokinetics from the University of Pretoria in 1993, I have been the head Biokineticist at the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology for the last 25 years.

I have been privileged to present lectures both nationally and internationally on the benefits of
exercise in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity and osteoporosis. I have authored numerous exercise related articles in medical and patient journals, including the current exercise and diabetes guidelines for the Society of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes South Africa (SEMDSA).

I have always enjoyed playing sports including football, cricket, rugby, squash and golf, and I now enjoy mountain biking on the weekends. I am also an avid sports fan, and for recreation I love to watch my 15-year-old twin daughters dance, act and sing.

My passion throughout my career has always been to motivate people with various pathologies to take up some form of regular activity as their treatment foundation, because the benefits of regular activity are significant.

Chrystal Slater is a registered dietician with a special interest in diabetes.

Her 10 years’ experience in a diabetes focused pharmaceutical environment has led her to practise as both a dietician and registered diabetes educator for the past 3 years.

This allows her to assist patients with diabetes therapy and lifestyle education. She has a passion to help patients with diabetes improve their blood sugar levels and achieve individual lifestyle goals such as weight management.

Dr Julien Trokis is a diabetologist, in practice at the Diabetes Care Centre, Cape Gate. He has a busy CDE diabetes clinic, and also runs a large clinical trial centre.

He has been an investigator in over 80 clinical trials, and has been principal investigator in about 40 clinical trials.

He has a special interest in diabetic kidney disease, and is currently national principal investigator for South Africa in a large international clinical trial in diabetic kidney disease. He currently serves as a member of the independent data monitoring committee on a multinational clinical trial.

He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and has given talks both nationally, as well as
internationally. He has also taught part time in the Department of Medicine, UCT at Victoria Hospital.