Prof Melvyn Quan

Associate Professor

BVSc, MSc, PhD

Dr Melvyn Quan

Office
Room 2-18
Paraclinical Building

Telephone
+27 12 529 8142

Email
[email protected]

ORCID
0000-0003-3352-8488

Biography

Melvyn Quan studied veterinary science at the University of Pretoria. After qualifying, he worked at a small animal veterinary clinic in Kent, UK for a year and a half before undertaking a MSc. His research topic was on copper deficiency in blesbok in the Camdeboo National Park. After his MSc, he got accepted for a PhD studentship at the Pirbright Laboratory, UK and enrolled at the University of Edinburgh. He modelled in vivo dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease virus in pigs. He returned to Onderstepoort in 2005 as a research officer and worked on rapid diagnostic assays and the molecular epidemiology of African horse sickness virus. In 2010, he became a senior lecturer in the DVTD.

His current research interests are on the rapid diagnostics of viruses of veterinary importance, as well as the phylogeography of viruses, using bioinformatics, phylogenetics and geographic information systems tools.

Professional and academic experience

4 years experience as veterinarian
14 years experience as researcher

Professional memberships

Member of the South African Veterinary Council
Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons , United Kingdom
Member of the Hong Kong Veterinary Surgeons Board

Subjects taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels

Virology
Epidemiology
Geographic Information System

Research interests

Molecular diagnostics
Epidemiology
Phylogeny
GIS

Collaboration

Other researchers (national and international)

Dr P. Lebea, CSIR, RSA.
D. Correia, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique.
Dr D. Bailey,University of Birmingham, UK.
Dr N.J. MacLachlan, University of California Davis, USA.
Dr R. Bhoora, Onderstepoort Veterinary institute, South Africa.

Industry

Dr J. Minke, Merial, France.

Postgraduate Students

Supervision or co-supervision of students who have completed degrees
Name	Degree/title of thesis and date completed	Supervisor	Co-supervisor(s)	Duration (years)
Mr S.E.L. Mantip	MSc (Research)/ Molecular characterisation of peste des petits ruminants viruses of sheep and goats in Nigeria	Prof M. van Vuuren	Dr M. Quan	Three
Mr N.M. Rathogwa	MSc (Research)/Development and evaluation of a real time polymerase chain reaction assay for equine encephalosis virus (2011).	Prof M. van Vuuren	Dr M. Quan	Three
Dr S.B. Hughes	MMedVet/Development of real-time RT-PCR assays to quantify insulin receptor and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor expression in equine tissue (2011).	Dr M. Schulman	Dr A.J. Guthrie Dr M. Quan	Six
Dr C. Weyer	MSc (Research)/African horse sickness virus dynamics and host responses in naturally infected horses (2010).	Dr M. Quan	Dr A.J. Guthrie	Two
Dr R. Bhoora	PhD/Molecular characterization of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, the aetiological agents of equine piroplasmosis, in South Africa (2009).	Dr N. Collins	Prof B.L. Penzhorn Prof A.J. Guthrie Dr M. Quan (advisor)	Five
Dr Y.T. Woma	MSc (Research)/The isolation and genetic characterization of canine distemper viruses from domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) in South Africa (2008).	Prof M. van Vuuren	Dr M. Quan (advisor)	Two

Current post-graduate students
Name	Degree enrolled for	Project title	Supervisor	Co-supervisor(s)	Year of registration
Dr Y.T. Woma	PhD	Development of a thermostable vaccine and molecular phylogeny of peste-des-petits ruminants (PPR) in Nigeria	Dr M. Quan	Dr D. Bailey	2011
Dr H.M. Chambaro	MSc (coursework)	Surveillance and molecular characterisation of influenza virus isolates from Blue Lagoon National Park in Zambia	Dr M. Quan	Dr E. Simulundu Prof A. Mweene	2012
Dr B. Bhebhe	MSc (coursework)	The detection of antibodies against Akabane and Palyam viruses in calves from western Kenya	Dr M. Quan	Dr D. Bailey	2011
Dr M.B.N Phala	MSc	Development of a PCR specific for Vectormune-ND	Dr M Quan		2015
Dr J.N. Kabajani	MSc	Development of a PCR specific for Transume IBD	Dr M Quan		2015
K. Scott	PhD	Improved stability of the FMDV SAT2 capsid	Dr FF Maree	Dr M Quan	2014

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