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Prof Shahed Nalla

Prof Shahed Nalla

Associate Professor
Name: Shahed Nalla
Location: 2304K, John Orr Building Doornfontein Campus
Human Anatomy and Physiology Staff  Staff Members

Contact Details:
Tel: +27 11 559 6258

Email: shahedn@uj.ac.za

About Prof Shahed Nalla

Highest Qualification:

PhD (WITS)

Biography:

Prof Shahed Nalla commenced his academic career as a Human Anatomy and Physiology lecturer at the University of Johannesburg (then Technikon Witwatersrand) in January 1994, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in September 2011, and then to Associate Professor in October 2017.

Appointed as Vice-Dean (Teaching and Learning) (reporting to the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences) in July 2012 to June 2015; Re-appointed as Vice-Dean (Teaching and Learning) in July 2015 to June 2018. He was Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, from 1 April 2018 until 28 February 2019; the Vice-Dean (Research, Innovation, and Internationalisation) (reporting to the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences) in March 2019 to June 2020.

Shahed is also a Research Associate with the Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain, and was appointed as an Honorary Research Associate/Fellow of the Evolutionary Studies Institute (ESI) of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (1 November 2014 to 30 June 2018).

Shahed is an external examiner for Masters dissertations and Ph.D. theses from the School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN); moderator/external examiner for Anatomy offerings at the School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and at the Sefako Makgatho University; external reviewer of Anatomy offerings in South Africa and internationally; reviewer for National and International Journals in Anatomy/Clinical Anatomy/Palaeontology; reviewer for academic promotions and NRF applications panel reviewer.

 

Research Interest: Shahed is a C2 NRF rated scientist with current research interests in palaeoanthropology with a focus on thoracic morphology and vertebral column evolution, in clinical anatomy related to cervical vertebral variation in modern and archaic populations, and in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in Anatomy education.

 

Research Niche:

Human Anatomy (Modern and Archaic, including Clinical)  and Hominid Evolution (Thoracic and Vertebral)

 

PUBLICATIONS

BOOK CHAPTERS

  1. Ward CV, Rosenman B, Latimer B and Nalla S (2020) Thoracolumbar vertebrae and ribs, in Ward CV, Richmond BG and Zipfel B (Eds.), Hominin Postcranial Remains from Sterkfontein, South Africa, 1936-1995, Oxford University Press, ISBN-10: 0197507662, ISBN-13: 978-0197507667
  2. Bastir M, Torres-Tamayo N, Palancar C.A, Lois Zlolniski S, García-Martínez D, Riesco-López A, Vidal D, Blanco-Pérez E, Barash A, Nalla S, Martelli S, Sanchis-Gimeno JA and Schlager S (2019) Geometric Morphometric Studies in the Human Spine, in: Been E, Gómez- Olivencia A and Kramer PA (Eds.), Spinal Evolution Morphology, Function, and Pathology of the Spine in Hominoid Evolution Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019, pp. 361 – 386. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19349-2 eBook ISBN978-3-030-193 49-2

 

JOURNAL ARTICLES

(DHET ACCREDITED otherwise where indicated differently)

 

  1. Yvonne Mhosva, Pilani Nkomozepi, Shahed Nalla, Trevor Nyakudya (2024) Pharmacological potential of Portulacaria afra: A review on bioactive compounds, pharmacological uses and therapeutic prospects, Scientific African, Volume 26, , e02491, ISSN 2468-2276, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02491.

 

  1. S Ware, B Misiak, EA Hamza, S Nalla, AA Moustafa (2024) The Impact of Childhood Trauma on the Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 212(9):p 460-470, September 2024. DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001788

*corresponding author

 

  1. Nalla, S* and Vincent-Lambert, C (2024) Academic Exclusion of Health Sciences students in South African Higher Education Institutions – A rationale for Institutional Policy and Processes. African Journal of Health Professions Education e805. https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2024.v16i4.805

*corresponding author
 

  1. Juan A. Sanchis-Gimeno, Javier Iglesias-Bexiga, Marisol E. Schwab, Gema López-García, Eloy Ariza, Alejando Calpe, Miguel Mezquida, Shahed Nalla, Ilker Ercan (2024) Identification success rates in the post-Spanish Civil War mass graves located in the cemetery of Paterna, Spain: Meta-research on 15 mass graves with 933 subjects, Forensic Science International, Volume 361, 2024, 112122, ISSN 0379-0738, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112122

 

  1. Sundika Ishwarkumar-Govender, Shahed Nalla* (2024), 3D technologies in dental arcade forensic research – A scoping review, Translational Research in Anatomy, Volume 36, 2024, 100313, ISSN 2214-854X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tria.2024.100313.

*corresponding author

 

  1. BT Boekkooi, GJ Paton, S Nalla* (2024) Prevalence of Occipitalisation in a South African Black Population: An Original Study of 1119 Skulls with a Review of the Literature Translational Research in Anatomy, 100349 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tria.2024.100349

*corresponding author

 

  1. Shahed Nalla*, Juan A. Sanchis-Gimeno, Glen J. Paton (2024) Prevalence of sacral spina bifida occulta with lumbosacral transitional vertebra in a skeletal collection of a South African population, Translational Research in Anatomy, Volume 36,100307, ISSN 2214-854X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tria.2024.100307.

*corresponding author

 

  1. Paton, G, Williams SA, Nalla, S and Louw G (2024) Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae of 3096 individuals: prevalence and morphology in a South African population and its association with population affinity. Translational Research in Anatomy Volume 35,June 2024, 10028 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tria.2024.100281

 

  1. Juan A. Sanchis-Gimeno, Ilker Ercan, Özlem Toluk, Nilgün Tuncel Çini, Senem T. Ozdemir, Susanna Llido, Shahed Nalla* (2023) Arcuate foramen prevalence in South African subjects: A cadaveric study based on 120 atlas vertebrae Translational Research in Anatomy 33: 100271 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tria.2023.100271

*corresponding author

 

  1. Tuncel Çini, N.; Nalla, S*.; Mata-Escolano, F.; Blanco-Perez, E.;Valenzuela-Fuenzalida, J.J.; Orellana-Donoso, M.; Sanchis-Gimeno, J.A. (2023) Double Transverse Foramina—An Anatomical Basis for Possible Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency Risk and Vertebral Artery Injury. Diagnostics, 13, 3029

https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13193029

*corresponding author

  1. Juan Sanchis-Gimeno, Shahed Nalla, Enma Rodriguez-Dieguez, Nabeela Hasrod (2023) Correlation between body mass index and corneal thickness in emmetropic subjects African Vision and Eye Health, 82(1), 6 pages. doi:https://doi.org/10.4102/aveh.v82i1.814

 

  1. Hamza Abo Eid, Moustafa A. Ahmed, Tindle Richard, Karki Rasu, Nalla Shahed, Hamid S. Mohamed and EL HAJ Mohamad (2023) Effect of APOE4 Allele and Gender on the Rate of Atrophy in the Hippocampus, Entorhinal Cortex, and Fusiform Gyrus in Alzheimer’s Disease, Current Alzheimer Research Volume 19, Issue 14 943 – 953 https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1567205020666230309113749

 

  1. Williams, SA, Zeng, I, Guerra, JS, Nalla S, Elliott, MC, Hawks, J, Berger, LR and Meyer, MR (2022) Homo naledi lumbar vertebrae and a new 3D method to quantify vertebral wedging American Journal of Biological Anthropology Volume 179, Issue 3 491-500 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24621

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno, JA, Hasrod N, Calvo-Maroto, AM, Nalla, S, and Cerviño, A (2022) Effect of diabetes mellitus on quantitative corneal anatomy – a systemic review. African Vision and Eye Health Volume 81 (1), a725 https://doi.org/10.4102/aveh.v81i1.725

 

  1. Williams, SA. Prang TC, Meyer MR, Nalley TK, Van Der Merwe R, Yelverton C, García-Martínez D, Russo GA, Ostrofsky KR, Eyre J, Grabowski M, Nalla S, Bastir M, Schmid P, Churchill SE, Berger LR. (2021) New fossils of Australopithecus sediba reveal a nearly complete lower back eLife 2021;10:e70447 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.70447 IMPACT FACTOR: 8.713

 

  1. Faus-Valero B, Llidó-Torrent S, Miquel-Feutch M, Quiles-Guiñau L, Perez-Bermejo M, Nalla S and Sanchis-Gimeno JA (2021) Gonial angle measures in Medieval and contemporary skeletons. European Journal of Anatomy 25 (1), 41-48 IMPACT FACTOR: 0.49

 

  1. García-Martínez D, Martelli S, Torres-Tamayo N, Jiménez-Arenas JM, González Martín A, Campo M, Cambra-Moo O, Lois-Zlolniski S, Nalla S, Sanchís Gimeno JA and Bastir M (2020) Sexual dimorphism in the vertebral wedging of the human lumbar vertebrae and its importance as a comparative framework for understanding the wedging pattern of Neanderthals Quaternary International 566, 224-232 IMPACT FACTOR: 2.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2020.05.054

 

  1. Torres-Tamayo N, García-Martínez D, Schlager D, Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Barash A, Nalla S, Ogihara N, Oishi M, Martelli S and Bastir M (2020) Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of thorax-pelvis covariation and its potential for predicting the thorax morphology: A case study on Kebara 2 Neandertal Journal of Human Evolution 147, 102854 IMPACT FACTOR: 3.534 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102854

 

  1. Torres-Tamayo N, Martelli S, García-Martínez D, Schlager S, Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Mata-Escolano F, Nalla S, Ogihara N, Oishi M and Bastir M (2020) Assessing thoraco-pelvic covariation in Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes: A 3D geometric morphometric approach. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 173(3), 514-534 IMPACT FACTOR: 2.414 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24103

 

  1. Bastir M, García-Martínez D , Torres-Tamayo N, Palancar CA, Beyer B, Barash A, Villa C, Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Riesco-López A, Nalla S, Torres-Sánchez I, García-Río F, Been E, Gómez-Olivencia A, Haeusler M, Williams SA and Spoor F (2020) Rib cage anatomy in Homo erectus suggests a recent evolutionary origin of modern human body shape Nature Ecology & Evolution 4: 1178-1187 IMPACT FACTOR: 12.543 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1240-4

 

  1. Lois Zlolniski S, Sanchis Gimeno JA, Blanco-Pérez E, Mata F, Barash A, Nalla S, Torres-Tamayo N, García Martínez D, Martelli S and Bastir M (2019) 3D geometric morphometric analysis of variation in the human lumbar spine American Journal of Physical Anthropology 170 (3): 361–372. IMPACT FACTOR: 2.414 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23918

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Quiles-Guiñau L, Llido-Torrent S, Aparicio L, Nalla S and Miquel-Feutch M (2019) Possible clinical implications of the geographic differences in the prevalence of the double transverse foramen World Neurosurgery 126: e570-572 IMPACT FACTOR : 1.829 (ISI and Scopus List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2019.02.096

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Llido S and Nalla S (2019) The Retrotransverse foramen of the atlas is not a modern anatomic variation. World Neurosurgery 123:174-176. IMPACT FACTOR : 1.829 (ISI and Scopus List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2018.11.241

 

  1. Williams SA, Meyer MR, Nalla S, García-Martínez D, Nalley TK, Eyre J, Prang TC, Bastir M, Schmid P, Churchill SE and Berger LR (2018) “Special Issue: Australopithecus sediba — The Vertebrae, Ribs, and Sternum of Australopithecus sediba” PaleoAnthropology 2018:156-233.

DOI: https://paleoanthro.org/journal/volumes/2018/ (10.4207/PA.2018.ART113)

 

  1. Torres-Tamayo N, García-Martínez D, Nalla S, Barash A, Williams SA, Blanco-Pérez E, Mata-Escolano F, Sanchis-Gimeno JA and Bastir M (2018) The torso integration hypothesis revisited in Homo sapiens: contributions to the understanding of hominin body shape evolution. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 167: 777 – 790 IMPACT FACTOR: 2.414 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23705

 

  1. Torres-Tamayo N, García-Martínez D, Nalla S, Barash A, Blanco-Pérez E, Mata-Escolano F, Sanchis-Gimeno JA and Bastir M (2018) The Human Torso: Variation in Relation to Sexual Dimorphism, Ancestry and Allometry Folia Primatologica 89: 165–215 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000488668

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Llido S, Perez-Bermejo M and Nalla S (2018) Prevalence of anatomic variations of the atlas vertebra The Spine Journal 18 (11) 2102 -2111 IMPACT FACTOR: 3.024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2018.06.352

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Llido S, Guede D, Nalla S, Martinez-Soriano F. Blanco-Perez E and Caeiro JR (2018) Atlases with Arcuate Foramen present cortical bone thickening that may contribute to a lower fracture risk World Neurosurgery 117: e162 – e166 IMPACT FACTOR : 1.829 ISI and Scopus List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2018.05.220

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Blanco-Pérez E, Llido S, Perez-Bermejo M, Nalla S and Mata-Escolano F (2018) Can the transverse foramen/vertebral artery ratio of double transverse foramen subjects be a risk for vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attacks? Journal of Anatomy 233: 341—346 IMPACT FACTOR: 2.638 (ISI List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12839

 

  1. Elliott M, Quam R, Nalla S, De Ruiter D, Hawks J and Berger LR (2018) Description and analysis of three Homo naledi incudes from the Dinaledi Chamber, Rising Star Cave (South Africa) Journal of Human Evolution 122: 146 -155 IMPACT FACTOR: 3.767 (ISI, Scopus and IBSS List)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.06.008

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Llido S and Nalla S (2018) Double retrotransverse foramen of the Atlas (C1) World Neurosurgery 114: e869-e872 IMPACT FACTOR : 1.829 (ISI and Scopus List)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2018.03.102

 

  1. García-Martínez D, Nalla S, Cunha E, Ferreira MT, Guichón R, D´Angelo MD and Bastir M (2018) Eco-geographic adaptations in the human ribcage throughout a 3D geometric morphometrics approach. American Journal of Physical Anthropology Volume166, Issue 2: 323-336 IMPACT FACTOR: 2.414 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23433

 

  1. Ntuli S, Kiter A and Nalla S (2018) Anatomical variation of the Dorsalis pedis artery in a South African population- A Cadaveric Study The Foot 35: 16 – 27 IMPACT FACTOR: 1.5 (Scopus 09582592) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foot.2018.01.002

 

 

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Llido S, Quiles-Guinau L, Miquel-Feutch M, Rios L, Murillo-Llorente M, Perez-Bermejo M and Nalla S (2018) The Decreasing Prevalence Of The Arcuate Foramen. World Neurosurgery 110: 521-525. IMPACT FACTOR : 1.829 (ISI and Scopus List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2017.10.037

 

  1. Nalla S, Blanco-Perez E, Mata-Escolano F, Llido S and Juan A Sanchis-Gimeno (2018) Unexpected Persistent Dentocentral Synchondrosis of C2 World Neurosurgery 111: 26-27. IMPACT FACTOR : 1.829 (ISI and Scopus List)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2017.12.017

 

  1. Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Blanco-Perez E, Perez-Bermejo M, Llido-Torrent S and Nalla S (2018) Retrotransverse foramen of the atlas: prevalence and bony variations. European Spine Journal 27:1272–1277 IMPACT FACTOR 2.458 (ISI and Scopus List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-017-5372-4

 

  1. Williams SA, García-Martínez D, Meyer MR, Nalla S, Schmid P, Hawks J, Churchill SE, Berger LR and Bastir M (2017) The vertebrae and ribs of Homo naledi Journal of Human Evolution Vol 104 pp 136 -154 IMPACT FACTOR: 3.534 (ISI, Scopus and IBSS List 0047-2484) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.11.003

 

  1. Maddocks M, Nalla S and Zipfel B (2017) The Relationship Between the Distal Metatarsal Articular Angle and Intersesamoidal Crista: an osteological study. The Foot Volume 30 pp. 5 -12 IMPACT FACTOR: 1.5 (Scopus list) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foot.2017.01.006

 

  1. Tawane G, García-Martínez D, Eyre J, Bastir M, Berger LR, Schmid P, Nalla S and Williams SA (2016) A hominin first rib discovered at the Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa, South African Journal of Science Vol 112, No 5/6 IMPACT FACTOR: 1.191 (Scopus List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2016/20150278

 

  1. Berger LR, Hawks J, De Ruiter DJ, Churchill SE, Schmid P, Delezene LK, Kivell TL, Garvin HM, Williams SA, De Silva JM, Skinner MM, Musiba CM, Cameron N, Holliday TW, Harcourt-Smith W, Ackermann RR, Bastir M, Bogin B, Bolter D, Brophy J, Cofran ZD, Congdon KA, Deane AS, Dembo M, Drapeau M, Elliott MC, Feuerriegel EM, Garcia-Martinez D, Green DJ, Gurtov A, Irish JD, Kruger A, Laird MF, Marchi D, Meyer MR, Nalla S, Negash EW, Orr CM, Radovcic D, Schroeder L, Scott JE, Throckmorton Z, Tocheri MW, Van Sickle C, Walker CS, Wei P and Zipfel B (2015) Homo naledi, a new species of the genus Homo from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa eLife 2015;4:e09560. IMPACT FACTOR: 7.080 (Web of Science – 2015) (ISI List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09560

 

 

 

  1. Schmid P, Churchill SE, Nalla S, Weissen E, Carlson KJ, De Ruiter DJ and Berger LR (2013) Mosaic Morphology in the Thorax of Australopithecus sediba. Science Vol 340 (Issue 6129 12 April 2013) pp.109 – 236 IMPACT FACTOR: 41.845 (Web of Science – 2015) (ISI List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1234598

 

  1. Hartstone-Rose A, Kuhn BF, Nalla S, Werdelin L and Berger LR (2013) A new species of fox from the Australopithecus sediba type locality, Malapa, South Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa Volume 68, Issue 1, 2013 IMPACT FACTOR: 1.630 (DoHET List) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0035919X.2012.748698

 

  1. Nalla S and Asvat R (1995) The Incidence of the Coracoclavicular joint in a South African sample Journal of Anatomy 186:645-649 IMPACT FACTOR: 2.638 (ISI List 0021-8782) DOI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7559137/