Extraordinary Appointed Professor

Prof. Glyn Howatson

Glyn Howatson is the Director of Research and Innovation, and Professor in Human and Applied Physiology at Northumbria University in the UK and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science. He received his Doctoral degree from Kingston University, London, in muscle damage and extends these interests to neuro-muscular adaptation and recovery from strenuous exercise.

Extraordinary Appointed Professor

Dr. Niel L. Bruce

Niel Bruce is a world expert on marine isopod crustaceans, a group of small sized, abundant and diverse crustaceans related to crabs and shrimp. His research began with an Honours thesis on the taxonomy of isopod crustaceans from the Red Sea. That interest in tropical crustaceans has continued to the present day.

Niel has written more than 150 scientific papers, numerous reports and popular articles including five monographs and two edited books. He has worked at the Smithsonian Institution, Australian Museum, Zoological Museum in Copenhagen as Curator of Crustacea and most recently at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand as head of the Marine Invertebrate Biodiversity and Collections programs. Niel joined the Queensland Museum in 2007 as Senior Curator at the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville. Niel's research continues to focus on the taxonomy, systematics, biogeography and biodiversity of tropical marine isopods, both free living and parasitic forms. He has described or redescribed more than 400 species, 40 new genera and three new families of marine isopod. Present research focuses on Great Barrier Reef isopods, using this work as the basis for higher level revisions of Australian isopods. The recent prime focus of work has been the systematics of the Asellota (a group of small isopods) from Australian coral reefs, funded by ABRS and CReefs–BHP Billiton. The other primary research focus, through graduate students, is revisions of fish parasitic isopods of Southern Africa and Australia Queensland Museum research collections of coral-reef isopods have been built from extensive field work on the Great Barrier Reef, and throughout the Indo-Pacific from Fiji and Papua New Guinea, the Great Barrier Reef, Western Australia and the Western Indian Ocean at South Africa, Mauritius, Zanzibar and Kenya.

 

Extraordinary Appointed Professor

Prof. Kenné de Kock

Kenné de Kock is a member of the team that studies the ecological health of selected river systems in the North-West Province. They evaluate the macroinvertebrate biodiversity and selected abiotic factors which could have an influence on their spatial and temporal distribution. They are currently focusing on selected sites in the Marico, Crocodile and Mooi River catchment areas. He teaches the post-graduate students involved in these projects the skills to collect, identify and classify the aquatic macroinvertebrates and also to identify the marginal and aquatic vegetation encountered at each sampling site. These students are also trained to process and interpret their results and to write scientific publications. A considerable amount of his time goes towards the identification of the macroinvertebrates collected in their surveys and in the evaluation of the results in order to generate articles, in collaboration with the rest of the team, for submission to accredited scientific journals. He is also involved in a project, recently initiated, to do DNA barcoding of aquatic macroinvertebrates. He has already identified and screened samples of several freshwater mollusc species for the presence of parasites in order to prepare them for these analyses. He processes and report on samples of freshwater molluscs sent to him for identification and is also responsible for updating the database of the National Freshwater Snail Collection.

 

Extraordinary Appointed Professor

Prof. Stephen Klaine

In memoriam

 

Aug 5, 1952 - Apr 27, 2016

 

Just two dates separated by a line.  During this short lifetime line Stephen has had a profound influence on the lives of many people.  In the three years that Stephen was associated with the North-West University he became a dear friend, valued colleague and a true mentor to our ecotoxicology postgraduate students. Stephen will be sorely missed. Our prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues.

Extraordinary Appointed Professor

Prof. Luc Brendonck

Luc Brendonck is head of the laboratory and research professor with 25 years of experience within aquatic ecology, taxonomy, ecotoxicology, sustainable development, evolutionary ecology and ecological biogeography. Mainly, temporary wetlands and their invertebrate communities were used to assess diversity patterns in relation to environmental conditions (e.g. land use) and as models to analyze ecological and evolutionary processes. The involvement of Prof L. Brendonck as the Flemish project leader is premised on his extensive involvement with VLIR-UOS projects in Africa (see below). He has led about 20 multidisciplinary field excursions with staff and students in Zimbabwe and South Africa. He also has vast experience in monitoring of water quality and in aquatic ecology in Southern Africa and in integrated water resources management. He is therefore aware of the vast needs of the region. He is currently also participating as Flemish UNESCO expert in aquatic ecology in arid and semi-arid regions and is UNESCO advisor within FET-water (framework for education and training in water) in South Africa.

 

Extraordinary Appointed Professor

Prof. Yoshinori Ikenaka

Yoshinori Ikenaka is an associate professor at Hokkaido University, Japan. He specialises in Environmental Toxicology Work. Subjects of research include:

1) Study on mechanism of species differences in sensitivity to toxicological chemicals.

2) Toxicity evaluation and monitoring of environmental pollutants in wild animals in Africa.