Biography

Dr Raksha Vasantrai Bhoora is a molecular parasitologist. Her research focuses on developing and optimizing molecular detection methods for equine piroplasmosis by harnessing the latest molecular detection tools and sequencing platforms. Through genomic and phylogenetic analyses, her studies aim to understand the genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of parasites that cause piroplasmosis and characterize novel parasite strains to identify genetic markers for diagnostic and possibly also vaccine development. Improving the early detection and surveillance of these parasites assists in facilitating the implementation of suitable control strategies. She is also collaborating on projects focusing on Bovine babesiosis, Trypanosoma, and Surveillance of wildlife pathogens. Her network of collaborators includes researchers from Argentina, The Netherlands, USA and Italy.

Professional and academic experience

• 20 years' experience as a researcher

Professional memberships

• Member of the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN)
• Member of the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa (PARSA).

Subjects taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels

• Introductory Veterinary Diagnostics 300 (IVD 300): Research

Research interests

• Veterinary molecular diagnostics
• Veterinary Parasitology
• Genomics and transcriptomics

Collaboration

• Instituto de Patobiologia Veterinaria CICVyA INTA-Castelar, Argentina
• Washington State University
• SECOSUD II-Italian Cooperation
• University of South Africa (UNISA)
• ARC-Biotechnology Platform
• Sequencing Core Facility, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)
• CSIR Proteomics section, Next Gen Health Cluster

Postgraduate Students

Research output/publications

• 14 publications in peer-reviewed or refereed journals
• 1 book chapter
• 17 congress proceedings
• 1 technical report

NRF rating

Y2

Awards and recognition

• Senior WO Neitz Medal for the best PhD thesis in parasitology at the 39th Annual conference of the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa (PARSA) (2010)
• Faculty of Veterinary Science Young Researcher of the Year Award (non-academic staff) (2010)
• The AITVM DIK ZWARD award for the Best Scientific Oral Presentation (2010)
• Bayer Best Scientific Poster of the Year award at Faculty Day, University of Pretoria (2009)
• AVEDILA WAVLD Registration grant to attend the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians-14th International Symposium, Madrid, Spain (2008)
• TTP-6 fellowship to attend the VI International Conference on Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens, Buenos Aires – Argentina (2008)
• WAAVP AF 2007 fellowship to attend the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) conference, Gent, Belgium (2007)
• Best Senior Student oral presentation at the 37th Annual conference of the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa (PARSA) (2007)