Prof. Melvin Anyasi Ambele is an NRF C2-rated Associate Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is also affiliated with the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine. He holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town and has extensive experience in molecular and cellular biology, human genetics, and translational biomedical research. His research focuses on elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying obesity, metabolic dysfunction, and cancer progression, with particular emphasis on adipogenesis, adipose tissue biology, immunometabolism, and obesity-associated breast cancer. His contributions include investigating the functional role of the amino acid transporter SLC7A8 in adipocyte differentiation and demonstrating the protective effects of Slc7a8 deletion against diet-induced obesity and ectopic lipid accumulation. His current research integrates molecular and functional genomics, preclinical disease models, and cellular and immunological approaches to investigate metabolic reprogramming, tumour–microenvironment interactions, and the mechanisms linking obesity to cancer progression. His broader research portfolio encompasses oral and maxillofacial cancer genomics, metabolic disease epidemiology, and population-based investigations of obesity and its associated complications in African populations. Prof. Ambele has authored and co-aut