Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr Kazeem Alaynade
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 63 033 3574 jkadekunle2@gmail.com Building E6, Potchefstroom PhD Microbiology My research activities are focused on solving problems around antimicrobial resistance profiling of pathogens; developing biopharmaceuticals against infectious diseases; and understanding fungi-endobacterial interactionsFNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Ecological Interactions and Ecosystem Resilience
Subject group: Microbiology
Research group: Environmental Microbiology and Agricultural Biotechnology

Dr Hannes Erasmus
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 18 285 2279 22119809@mynwu.ac.za Building E6, Potchefstroom PhD Environmental Sciences Freshwater ecotoxicology, especially on effects of mining activities on freshwater environments.Affiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programmes: Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Subject group: Zoology

Dr Fortunate Phaka
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 71 436 6065 mafetap@gmail.com Building E6, Room G36, Potchefstroom PhD Environmental Sciences Interactions between South African frog- and reptile biodiversity, and indigenous cultures.Affiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology
Subject group: Zoology
Research group: African Amphibian Conservation Research Group (AACRG)

Dr André Tiawoun Makuete
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 78 185 4339 aptiawoun@gmail.com Building A12, Room G35, Mahikeng PhD Botany I am currently a postdoc with a Doctoral degree in Botany. My qualifications include 9 years of experience tutoring and lecturing various botany courses and managing a large group of students.Affiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Environmental Management
Subject group: Botany

Dr Prosper Opute
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 60 484 6227 ashibudike.opute@uniben.edu Building E6, Room 121, Potchefstroom PhD Physiology and Ecotoxicology My research focus is ecotoxicology (at the cellular and organismal levels) with bias for aquatic (fish) and terrestrial (earthworms) organisms.Affiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Ecological Interactions and Ecosystem Resilience
Subject group: Zoology
Research group: Soil Ecology Ecotoxicology and Microbiology

Dr Aline Acosta
Postdoctoral fellow alineacosta1@gmail.com Building E6, Room 123, Potchefstroom PhD Taxonomy, systematics, and phylogenetic relationships of monogenean parasites of freshwater and marine fishesAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Subject group: Zoology

Dr Tsepo Ramatla
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 18 299 2521 21205450@nwu.ac.za Building E6, Room G15, Potchefstroom PhD Animal Health Zoonotic diseases, Bacterial Drug ResistanceAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Integrated Pest Management
Subject group: Zoology

Dr Frank Tatsing Foka
Postdoctoral fellow +27 18 389 2416 frankeric2023@yahoo.fr Building A12, Room G38, Mahikeng PhD Biology Microbial Genomics; Microbial Proteomics and VaccinologyAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Subject group: Microbiology
Research group: Virology

Dr João Silva
Postdoctoral fellow +27 79 740 5312 j.msilvabot@gmail.com Building E6, Room B08/09, Potchefstroom PhD in Evolution and Diversity Trophic ecology; Plant-soil Interactions and Transfer of MetalsAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Ecological Interactions and Ecosystem Resilience
Subject groups: Environmental Management (main); Botany
Research group: GeoEco Lab

Dr Sutapa Adhikari
Postdoctoral fellow +27 73 807 8554 sutapaa4@gmail.com Building A12, Room G35, Mahikeng PhD Botany Application of Plant Morphometrics in Taxonomy; Pollution Studies; Plants as ‘green’ filters in polluted environmentsAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology
Subject group: Botany

Dr Nanamhla Gwedla
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 73 070 9948 Nhanagwedla@gmail.com Building E6, Room 305, Potchefstroom PhD Environmental Sciences Social-ecological systems researcher. Specialization: Urban ecology and urban forestry research. Research interests: Green infrastructure, Ecology of cities, Urban sustainability, Environmental justice, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Knowledge co-productiAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Ecological Interactions and Ecosystem Resilience
Subject group: Botany
Dr Anja Erasmus
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 82 550 3762 23599235@student.g.nwu.ac.za Building E6, Potchefstroom PhD Environmental Sciences Environmental Parasitology, Data Management of South Africa’s Marine Parasite CollectionAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology
Subject group: Zoology

Dr Joshua Izegaegbe
Postdoctoral fellow joshizegs@gmail.com PhD Zoology Estuarine and Marine ecotoxicology; Trace metal pollution and bioaccumulation studies; Sediment and water quality assessment; Ecological and human health risk assessments; Biomarkers and estuarine zoobenthic studiesAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Subject group: Zoology (main), Environmental Management

Dr Russell Yong
Postdoctoral fellow rqy.yong@uqconnect.edu.au Building E6, Potchefstroom PhD Fish parasitology and Taxonomy and Systematics of Trematodes in Marine FishesAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Subject group: Zoology

Dr Niké Jacobs
Postdoctoral Fellow nike.jacobs@nwu.ac.za Building G23, Room G07, Potchefstroom PhD Social science - quality of life, community engagement, qualitative social research, and development economics.Affiliations
FNAS School: School of Geo- and Spatial Sciences
Sub-programme: Climate Change, Air Quality and Impacts
Research group: Climatology Research Group

Dr Bianca Greyvenstein
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 83 644 8085 biagrey90@gmail.com Building E6, Room G14, Potchefstroom PhD Environmental Sciences Mantodea of South Africa and Biodiversity of Insects in Agricultural SettingsAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Integrated Pest Management (main); Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology

Dr Zaakirah Jeeva
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 18 299 2486 Zaakirah.Jeeva@gmail.com Building E5, Room G10, Potchefstroom PhD Urban Planning Adminstrative Spatial ReformAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Geo- and Spatial Sciences
Sub-programme: Spatial Planning, Development and Implementation
Subject group: Urban and Regional Planning

Dr Oluwatosin Akinyemi
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 73 278 1050 tosin2667@gmail.com Building E6, Room 217, Potchefstroom PhD Food and Industrial Microbiology Food Safety; Mycotoxicology; Antimicrobials; Microbial EcologyAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Ecological Interactions and Ecosystem Resilience
Subject group: Microbiology
Research group: Agricultural Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnology

Dr Lizaan de Necker
Postdoctoral Fellow lizaan.denecker@gmail.com Building E6, Potchefstroom PhD Environmental Sciences Effects of Climate Change, Anthropogenic Pressures and Natural Phenomena e.g. Droughts and Floods on Aquatic Biota in Freshwater Ecosystems.Affiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Subject group: Zoology
Research group: Water Research Group

Dr Oladayo Idris
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 18 299 2501 oladayo.idris@nwu.ac.za Building E6, Potchefstroom PhD Botany Plant scientist with years of extensive experience in ethnobotany and ecotoxicology research and teaching. Project leadership skills, as well as personal management, team-player abilities, and results-driven. A dedicated researcher with a track record ofAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programmes: Environmental Management (main), Ecological Interactions and Ecosystem Resilience
Subject group: Zoology
Research group: Soil Ecology Ecotoxicology and Microbiology

Dr Tomi Adetunji
Postdoctoral Fellow +27 73 357 7414 lois.olatunji@gmail.com Building E6, Room 140, Potchefstroom PhD Botany Nutritional profiling, phytochemical analysis, and pharmacological evaluation of indigenous African medicinal plantsAffiliations
FNAS School: School of Biological Sciences
Sub-programme: Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology
Subject group: Botany
Research group: Forb Ecology Research Group (FERG)