Stories
July 28, 2025
UP study first to document how deadly winds are driving deaths of endangered grey-headed albatross
University of Pretoria (UP) researchers have become the first to document a disturbing new threat to the endangered grey-headed albatross: wind-driven, land...
July 17, 2025
NAS researchers lead the way in 2024/25 NSTF finalists list
Ten of the fourteen University of Pretoria (UP) finalists for the 2024/2025 National Science and Technology Foundation (NSTF) Awards hail from the Faculty of...
July 04, 2025
Internationally renowned Prof Nigel Bennett celebrates more than 500 publications
Professor Nigel Bennett, the current Austin Roberts chair of African mammalogy and past DSTI-NRF chair of Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology, celebrated...
June 20, 2025
Endless possibilities for biodiversity research in Waterberg
Who would have thought that the curiosity sparked during a family holiday at a game reserve would lead to endless research possibilities in the Waterberg? In...
June 13, 2025
Biodiversity specialist appointed as new HoD for Department of Zoology and Entomology
Prof Ara Monadjem, a biodiversity specialist from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Eswatini, has been appointed as the new Head of the...
June 10, 2025
NAS Faculty newsletter's first edition for 2025 (May 2025) now available
The NAS Faculty newsletter's first edition for 2025 (May 2025), SquaredUP, is now available. Click on either of the links below to read the newsletter: https:/...
June 05, 2025
Three NAS researchers receive prestigious NRF-ratings
Prof Andrew McKechnie, Professor in the Department of Zoology and Entomology and the holder of the South African Research Chair in Conservation Physiology (co...
April 25, 2025
Understanding bug behaviour to tackle Africa’s food challenges – UP’s Prof Chris Weldon delivers inaugural lecture
A thorough understanding of insect physiology and ecology can influence sustainable farming practices throughout Africa in the future. This idea formed the...
December 12, 2024
NAS Faculty newsletter's second edition (November 2024), SquaredUP, available.
The NAS Faculty newsletter's second edition (November 2024), SquaredUP, is now available. Click on either of the links below to read the newsletter: https://www...
Stories
UP researcher discovers two new dung beetle species which don't roll balls or use dung
One species discovered while fetching kids from school Over the past two decades, field trips in search of dung beetles have taken University of Pretoria (UP)...
September 30, 2024
Dr Vermeulen appointed to South African National Committee of the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research
Dr Els Vermeulen, Research Manager of the Mammal Research Institute (MRI)’s Whale Unit, has been appointed to the South African National Committee of the...
September 12, 2024
#UPGRADUATION2024: Four-time UP graduate adds PhD to her name
Four-time University of Pretoria (UP) graduate Nina Parry has earned a PhD for her research in applied entomology, focused on the initial steps for developing...
September 10, 2024
Prof Torto inducted as International Fellow of National Academy of Sciences
Prof Baldwyn Torto, an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria (UP), was recently inducted into the...
July 01, 2024
NAS boasts six staff members as finalists for 2023/24 ‘Science Oscars’
Six of the twelve individuals from the University of Pretoria (UP) who have been announced as finalists in the 2023/2024 NSTF-South32 Awards, popularly known as...
Stories
UP experts contribute to discovery of new ‘superpowers’ in mole rats, which could inform human health interventions
University of Pretoria (UP) scientists have contributed to discovering how the naked mole rat is able to withstand heart attacks and fend off bowel cancer, two...
June 03, 2024
First edition (May 2024) of Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences newsletter (SquaredUP)
The first edition for 2024 (May 2024) of the NAS Faculty newsletter ( SquaredUP) is now available. Click on either of the links below to read the newsletter...
May 22, 2024
UP EXPERT OPINION: Bees are vital for human health and food security
Bees, together with other insect pollinators, are vital for our well-being because they pollinate over 75% of the world’s leading food crops such as fruits...
April 23, 2024
UP honours world-renowned conservation scholar Prof Stuart Pimm
The University of Pretoria (UP) has awarded world-renowned conservation scholar Professor Stuart Pimm with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his...
Stories
April 08, 2024
UP researchers involved in discovery of nine trapdoor spider species
Nine new trapdoor spider species have been discovered in the Great Karoo by researchers at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Zoology and...
February 21, 2024
Pick n Pay partners to ‘save the whales’ with MRI Whale Unit
'Save the Whales’ is more than another call by environmental activists. The retail giant Pick n Pay has partnered with the University of Pretoria's (UP) Mammal...