Dr Lieza Odendaal

PhD, MSc (Vet Sc), BVSc (Hons), BVSc

Senior Lecturer: Veterinary Public Health

Orchid ID:  0000-0002-3949-7283

Summary CV

Dr Lieza Odendaal qualified as a veterinarian from the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science in 1993. She holds PhD (Veterinary Pathology), MSc (Epidemiology and Pathology) and BVSc Honours (Pathology) degrees, respectively obtained in 2020, 2014 and 2012 from the University of Pretoria. She has worked in a variety of environments including academia, laboratory services and provincial and national veterinary services. Her work experience includes disease research, veterinary diagnostics, policy formulation, regulatory services and project management. Dr Odendaal has been a lecturer at the University of Pretoria since 2007 and during this period taught both veterinary public health and veterinary pathology.

Research Expertise/Interest

As a pathologist, Dr Odendaal conducts research concerning the pathobiology of vector borne viral diseases with a special interest in Rift Valley fever (RVF) and Wesselsbron. She has been working towards implementing and validating molecular methods such as immunohistochemistry, in-situ hybridization and PCR on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Dr Odendaal determined the sensitivity and specificity of quantitative real-time PCR, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry for the detection of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in naturally infected cattle and sheep. Work that followed from this study concerns the lesions and cellular tropism of RVFV in naturally occurring cases in sheep. Papers published provides high quality images of the lesions and tropism of RVF and are very valuable resources to other pathologists around the world. The team also recently successfully described a modified extraction method used to obtain RNA from FFPE samples, as well as primer combinations used to phylogenetically assign the 2011 outbreak to Lineage H.

Postgraduate Students

Mr S Gwala is an MSc candidate that developed a method to detect RVFV in FFPE tissues using quantitative real-time PCR and compared the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of this method to immunohistochemistry.

Ms P Setlhodi is also an MSc candidate that is developing a FFPE quantitative real-time PCR for Wesselsbron virus.

Other students include Dr T Anthony (MMedVet Path candidate) and Dr A Henning (PhD candidate) who are respectively involved in projects regarding Rift Valley fever and foot and mouth disease.