MC Oosthuizen

Prof Marinda C Oosthuizen

BSc (Agric), BSc (Agric)(Hons), MSc, PhD
Professor 

Prof Marinda Oosthuizen

Office
Room 2-20.3
Paraclinical Building

Telephone
+27 12 529 8390

Email
[email protected]

Biography

Marinda Oosthuizen was born in Pretoria and completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Pretoria where she obtained her degrees cum laude. In 1998 she obtained a PhD with a thesis entitled “Taxonomy and phylogeny of aerobic Gram-negative heparinase producing bacteria”. During 1999 to 2001 she completed postdoctoral fellowship at the University of the Witwatersrand on the topic “Proteomic investigation of a dairy-associated Bacillus cereus biofilm”. She joined the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria in 2002 as a Research officer, was appointed as senior lecturer in 2007, and promoted to Associate Professor in January 2012. Marinda Oosthuizen has a C2-rating from the NRF and she was the joint-winner of the Faculty of Veterinary Science “Researcher of the Year” award in 2011. She has published 32 papers in peer-reviewed journals and her findings have been presented at various national and international conferences. There are currently 1 postdoctoral fellow, 2 PhD and 3 MSc students enrolled under her supervision. During the past 6 years she successfully supervised and/or co-supervised 1 postdoctoral fellow, 5 PhD, 9 MSc and 4 Honours students. Furthermore, she is a council committee member of the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa (PARSA).

Professional and academic experience

10 years experience as researcher

Professional memberships

  • Member of the South African Parasitology Society of South Africa (PARSA)
  • Member of the International Consortium of Ticks- and Tick-borne Diseases (ICTTD)

Subjects taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels

Molecular Biology

Research interests

Tick-borne protozoal and rickettsial diseases

Marinda Oosthuizen is established in the field of molecular veterinary parasitology; focusing on molecular diagnostic assay development and the molecular characterization of novel tick-borne blood parasites (Theileria, Babesia, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species) of domestic and wild animals, including those that threaten endangered and rare wildlife species. Some of the highlights include the identification of novel Babesia and Theileria species from sable, roan and giraffe as well as the development of a Theileria parva-specific real-time PCR assay for the detection of T. parva (causing Corridor disease in South Africa) in buffalo and cattle.

Some of her current research projects include (i) “Identification and molecular characterization of Anaplasma species of the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer)”, (ii) “Molecular characterization of vaccine candidates from Anaplasma marginale strains in South Africa, (iiii) “Wildlife species as reservoir hosts of tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases impacting on livestock production in South Africa: Identification and molecular characterization of these parasites using a metagenomics approach” and (iv) Discovering emerging tick-borne pathogens that could impact on human health and livestock production in South Africa: Developing real-time PCR assays for the specific and sensitive detection of these pathogens.

Postgraduate Students

Name of student

Degree

Project title

Dr Richard Burroughs (RSA)

Web-based MSc (Veterinary Tropical Diseases)

Identification and molecular characterization of Babesia spp. from spotted and brown hyena.

Ms Nicole Liesching (RSA)

Web-based Msc (Animal/ Human/ Ecosystems Health)

Antelope species as reservoir hosts of tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases impacting on livestock production in South Africa: Identification and molecular characterization of these parasites.

Mr Dewald Eygelaar (RSA)

MSc

Characterization of Theileria parva in the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) from Northern Botswana using the p67, p104 and polymorphic immunodominant molecule (PIM) genes.

Dr Charles Byaruhanga (Uganda)

PhD

Epidemiological dynamics and diversity of Theileria, Anaplasma and Babesia infections in cattle in different livelihood zones of Karamoja sub-region, Uganda.

Ms Zama Khumalo (RSA)

PhD

Detection, differentiation and phylogenetic relationship between Anaplasma marginale and A. marginale ss centrale.

Mrs Mamohale E Chaisi (Lesotho)

Postdoctoral fellow

Anaplasma vaccine development: To determine if the structure and antigenicity of eight identified vaccine candidates are conserved between North American and South African strains of A. marginale.

Research output/publications

Click here to view a list of publications.

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