Biography

I passed the State Examination (= DVM or BVSc) in Veterinary Medicine in 1986 at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany.

From 1986 to 1989 I was a doctoral student at the Department of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover and the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the Universidad Austral de Chile ‘UACh’ in Valdivia, Chile (1986-1988). During my time In Chile I also established an entomology section at the Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory. In 1989 I obtained my Doctor medicinae veterinariae (Dr. med.vet.) with the thesis ‘Investigation on the occurrence and control of tabanids in the Province of Valdivia, Chile’.

From 1989 to 1990 I registered for the joined Master’s Course in Applied Parasitology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.  In this modular course, I emphazised on the biology, ecology and control of arthropod vectors of disease (particularly mosquitoes) and the diagnosis of human parasitic infections. The programme was concluded by a final laboratory-based research project on Leishmania.

From 1990 to 1991 I was employed as a Higher Scientific Officer (HSO) at the Tropical Parasitic Diseases Unit, International Institute of Parasitology, CAB International, St. Albans, United Kingdom where I was a leader of a WHO funded project, entitled ‘Discovery and development of antifilarial drugs with special emphasis on lymphatic filariasis’.

In 1991 I emigrated to South Africa where I was first employed until 1995 as a research veterinarian at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute of the Agricultural Research Council. During this period I established as a side line filarial diagnostics and conducted an initial local survey on the prevalence of filariosis in dogs.

Since 1995 I am a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria where I have focused mainly on undergraduate teaching and diagnostics. I obtained my PhD from the University of Pretoria in 2009 with the thesis ‘Filariosis of domestic carnivores in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa, and Maputo province, Mozambique’.

Professional and academic experience

33 years

Professional memberships

• South African Veterinary Council
• International Association of Veterinary Homoeopathy (IAVH)
• Complementary Veterinary Medicine Group
• South African Bee Industry Organization

Subjects taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels

Applied parasitology (companion animals/exotics)

Research interests

My primary research interest lies in filariosis and other endoparasitic infections of domestic and sylvatic carnivores. Since filarial infections are vector-borne, I also have the connection with entomology where I particularly have expertise in the field of mosquitoes and tabanids. With the unique diversity of wildlife I have also developed an interest in parasites of game. My involvement in diagnostics has provided valuable data for case studies which also benefit undergraduate teaching.

Postgraduate Students

SUPERVISOR

1. Ilze du Plooy (web-based MSc): Results of routine examinations for parasitic infections of humans from laboratory-submitted samples in Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga provinces between 2009 and 2010 – retrospective study
2. Cassandra Ramos (web-based MSc): Endoparasitism of mammalian carnivores kept at the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens
3. Hanre Bredenkamp (web-based MSc): Efficacy evaluation of a Haemonchus contortus antigen-containing vaccine (Wirevax®) in sheep in South Africa – retrospective study
4. Kebonyemodisa Ntesang (Research MSc): Gastrointestinal and filarial helminth infections of domestic dogs in Gaborone, Botswana
5. Harold Salant (web-based MSc): Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in poultry kept under different housing conditions in Israel
6. Bianca Voigts (web-based MSc): Survey on the occurrence and prevalence of filarial helminth infections of domestic dogs in Mahikeng, North West Province, South Africa
7. Leandri Strydom (web-based MSc): Identification of helminths and pentastomes sampled from preserved puff adder (Bitis arietans) specimens of herpetological collections from South African museums
8. Maruchelle Cilliers (web-based MSc): A systematic literature review of helminth infections in tragelaphine antelopes (Family Bovidae: Subfamily Bovinae: Tribe Tragelaphini) in Africa

CO-SUPERVISOR

1. Rolanda Julius (PhD): Helminth  diversity and composition of the commensal rodents  Rattus rattus, Rattus tanezumi, Mastomys coucha and Mastomys natalensis  in South Africa (Preliminary title)

Research output/publications

Click here to view a list of publications.

Awards

Pfizer Class Prize, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool (1990)