Extraordinary Lecturer: Molecular BiologyBSc (Wits) BSc (Hons)(Wits) PhD (Wits) |
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Office Postal address Telephone Email |
Nicola Collins was educated at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. In 1992 she joined the Agricultural Research Council – Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute where she completed her Ph.D. Following a post doctoral fellowship in 1999 at the Center for Biomedical Inventions, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, USA, she returned to the ARC-OVI where she was appointed leader of research projects in the Heartwater Programme. She joined the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria in 2003 where she currently holds a part-time appointment.
Dr Collins’ research career has mainly focused on molecular studies of haemoparasites of veterinary importance. She was one of the principal researchers involved in the sequencing of the 1.5 Mb Ehrlichia ruminantium genome, which was published in January 2005 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; in 2005 this journal had an impact factor of 10.231. The E. ruminantium genome sequence was the first bacterial genome to be completed in Africa, and was a major achievement for all the researchers involved. It will be an invaluable resource in future heartwater research.
She has also been involved in the development of molecular diagnostic tests for Theileria parva, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi and in the molecular characterization of these parasites. Her research revealed the existence of genetic and serological heterogeneity in T. equi and B. caballi parasites in South Africa, which explains the failure of many molecular and serological tests to detect these parasites in field samples in this country. Other projects include the identification T. parva carrier cattle in the Mnisi Community Area and the characterization of T. parva parasites identified, as well as studying the time-course of tick-borne haemoparasite infection in calves at the wildlife-livestock interface in the Mnisi Community.
Her current research includes the molecular characterization of vaccine candidates from Anaplasma marginale strains in South Africa in collaboration with Dr Kelly Brayton (Washington State University, USA) and Dr Sibusiso Mtshali (NRF-National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria). Recently, in vitro cultures of South African A. marginale strainshave been established in embryonic tick cell lines in collaboration with researchers at the ARC-OVI. Dr Collins is also working in collaboration with Dr Marinda Oosthuizen on the characterization of A. marginale and A. centrale in cattle and buffalo, and the identification of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens.
Name of student |
Degree |
Title of thesis |
Supervisor |
Co-supervisor(s) |
First year of registration |
Graduation |
Alri Pretorius |
Ph.D. |
Aspects of the immune response in ruminants to four protective Ehrlichia ruminantium gene products |
Self |
Prof B.A. Allsopp (University of Pretoria) |
2003 |
November 2007 |
Kgomotso P Sibeko |
Ph.D. |
Validation of tests for mixed Theileria species infections in African buffaloes and cattle |
Self |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
2004 |
April 2010 |
Raksha Bhoora |
Ph.D. |
Molecular characterization of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, the causative agents of equine piroplsmosis |
Self |
Prof B. Penzhorn (University of Pretoria) |
2005 |
April 2010 |
Jeanine Uys |
B.Sc. (Hons) |
Identification and characterization of a Babesia species found in hyaena |
Self |
Prof B. Penzhorn (University of Pretoria) |
2006 |
April 2007 |
Evalyne N Njiiri |
Web-based M.Sc. |
The occurrence of Ehrlichia ruminantium and other haemoparasites in calves in western Kenya as determined by the reverse line blot hybridization assay, real-time PCR and nested PCR |
Self |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
2010 |
April 2013 |
W Heinrich Stoltsz |
M.Sc. |
Aspects of the epidemiology of Theileria parva infections in cattle and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in South Africa revealed by tick transmission and sub-inoculation of blood |
Self |
Prof B. Penzhorn (University of Pretoria) |
2011 |
April 2012 |
Chimvwele N Choopa |
M.Sc. |
A retrospective study to identify target areas to sample for Theileria parva carrier cattle and molecular characterisation of T. parva positive samples identified |
Self |
Dr D. Knobel (University of Pretoria) |
2012 |
April 2016 |
Paidashe Hove |
Ph.D. |
Molecular characterisation of potential vaccine candidates from Anaplasma marginale strains in South Africa |
Self |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
2013 |
September 2018 |
Janine Baxter |
B.Sc. (Hons) |
Genetic diversity of Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma marginale subspecies centrale in South Africa |
Self |
Dr M.E. Chaisi (University of Pretoria) |
2014 |
April 2015 |
Sizanobuhle Phili |
Web-based M.Sc. |
Occurrence and genetic diversity of Anaplasma marginale in cattle from two diptanks in Zambezia Province, Mozambique |
Self |
Dr M.E. Chaisi (University of Pretoria) |
2015 |
September 2017 |
Marcus Makgabo |
M.Sc. |
Tick-borne disease dynamics in calves at the wildlife-livestock interface in the Mnisi Community Programme (MCP) area, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. |
Self |
Dr K.A. Brayton (Washington State University) |
2016 |
April 2019 |
Marcus Makgabo |
Ph.D. |
|
Self |
Dr K. Brayton (Washington State University) |
2019 |
|
Bianca Bezuidenhout |
M.Sc. |
|
Self |
Dr Luis Neves |
2019 |
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Name of student |
Degree |
Title of thesis |
Supervisor |
Co-supervisor(s) |
First year of registration |
Graduation |
Junita Liebenberg |
Ph.D. |
Identification of vaccine candidate genes from the genomic analysis of Ehrlichia ruminantium |
Prof B.A. Allsopp (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2006 |
November 2010 |
Cassandra Olds |
M.Sc. |
The isolation and characterization of a pathogenic Babesia bovis stock from outbreaks for use in immunization |
Prof A. Latif (Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute) |
Self |
2006 |
November 2008 |
Saira Yusufmia |
Web-based M.Sc. |
The prevalance of theileriosis at the edge of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
Prof B. Penzhorn (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2006 |
November 2009 |
Peter S Brothers |
Web-based M.Sc. |
Occurrence of blood-borne tick-transmitted parasites in tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus lunatus) antelope, in Vaalbos National Park, South Africa |
Prof B. Penzhorn (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2006 |
April 2009 |
Mamohale E Chaisi |
Ph.D. |
Diversity of Theileria parva parasites in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and the challenge of differential diagnosis |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2007 |
April 2012 |
Elizabeth M Debeila |
M. Sc. |
Occurence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) inKruger National Park and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in South Africa |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2009 |
April 2013 |
Stephen Tembo |
Web-based M.Sc. |
Occurrence of tick-borne haemoparasites in cattle in the Mungwi District, Northern Province, Zambia |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2010 |
April 2013 |
Dewald Eygelaar |
M.Sc. |
The characterization of Theileria parva in buffalo (Syncerus caffer) from Botswana using the p67, p104 and polymorphic immunodominant molecule (PIM) genes and polymorphic microsatellites |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2012 |
April 2016 |
Zamantungwa Khumalo |
Ph.D. |
Anaplasma centrale in South Africa: occurrence, phylogeny and genetic diversity |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2013 |
April 2018 |
Charles Byaruhanga |
Ph.D. |
Epidemiology and tick-borne haemoparasite diversity amongst transhumant zebu cattle in Karamoja Region, Uganda |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2013 |
April 2017 |
Teboho Tsotetsi |
M.Sc. |
Validation of expression profiles of differentially expressed transcripts identified in cattle-derived and buffalo-derived Theileria parva isolates by RNA sequencing |
Dr K.P. Sibeko (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2013 |
September 2017 |
Trevor Molemane |
M.Sc. |
|
Dr K.P. Sibeko (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2013 |
|
Nicole Liesching |
Web-based M.Sc. |
Molecular detection of tick-borne haemoparasites in selected wild ruminant species in South Africa |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2013 |
April 2015 |
Gloria Patsanza |
Ph.D. |
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Dr K.P. Sibeko (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2014 |
|
Itumeleng Setshedi |
Ph.D. |
|
Dr K.P. Sibeko (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2014 |
De-registered |
Agatha Kolo |
Ph.D. |
Detection of zoonotic bacterial pathogens in multiple hosts using a microbiome approach and molecular characterization of Anaplasma phagocytophilum |
Dr M.C. Oosthuizen (University of Pretoria) |
Self |
2015 |
September 2019 |
Click here to view a list of publications.
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