Dr Elize van Vollenhoven BVSc, LLB, Dipl. ECAWBM(WSEL), PhD Senior Lecturer: Ethology (Horse Behaviour) and Law & Ethics ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1855-9155

Summary CV

Dr. Elize van Vollenhoven spent 18 years in State Veterinary Services before joining the Department in 2010. During her time in State Veterinary Service, she obtained experience in law enforcement, laboratory services and animal disease control. Dr. van Vollenhoven obtained a law degree in 2007 through UNISA, studying part time. She lectures the veterinary and para-veterinary undergraduate students in horse: ethology, handling and nutrition. Dr. van Vollenhoven is a Diplomat (specialist) of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behaviour subspecialty Animal Welfare Science, Law and Ethics (European Union); a Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare and Behaviour Medicine (South Africa); and a member of the Animal Ethics Committee of the University of Pretoria as well as a member of the ethics committee of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE). She is also section head for Ethology. Dr. van Vollenhoven’s research has resulted in collaborations with the University of Tennessee (USA), as well as the OIE Twinning: Project in the field of Animal Welfare with Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Italy. She currently has five publications in peer-reviewed journals and she has presented at three international conferences.

Research Expertise/Interest

For her PhD, Dr. van Vollenhoven monitored physiological indicators of stress during transrectal palpation of the reproductive tract in mares used for practical training of veterinary students. Other research interests include assessment of stress in animals, Heart Rate Variability (HRV), law and ethics, working animals. Her future projects include monitoring the response of horses during acupuncture sessions (HRV assessment), and using HRV to assess working dogs when performing their duties or during training sessions.

Postgraduate Students

MSc

Dr van Vollenhoven is supervising two MSc students.

• Dr. Marisa Slabber is currently working on the effect of electro-acupuncture stimulation of Bai-hui, GV14 and bilateral GB21 on heart rate variability and horse behavioural indicators in horses. The aim of the project is to investigate the effect of electro-acupuncture stimulation of Bai-Hui, GV14 and bilateral GB21 at two different frequencies on heart rate variability and behavioural indicators in horses.
• Dr. Roselle Hartwigsen is investigating the effect of acupuncture treatments in the Thoroughbred racehorse on heart rate variability at rest and stride frequency and stride length during gallop.