Dr M van de Vyver is an established NRF-rated researcher within the Department of Medicine at Stellenbosch University. She has >35 scientific publications (>447 citations; h-index 13; i10-index 15), have co-authored x3 book chapters, graduated >30 postgraduate students and has a prominent national standing with international recognition in her field. She has expertise in endocrinology (diabetes), inflammation, stem cells and regenerative medicine. Her research is focused on a pertinent public health issue, and she continuously reaches out to collaborative partners to establish the most appropriate and impactful team to achieve the end goals; these partners are based in the academic, industry and clinical sectors, both in South Africa and beyond. This enables her group to bridge-the-gap between the laboratory and clinical setting to do translational research.