Department of Zoology and Entomology, Qwaqwa Campus
Inthis department, we offer programmes at all levels of postgraduate study, i.e., BSc Honours, MSc, and PhD. We also welcome postdoctoral research fellows who may be interested in joining our research teams. The Department of Zoology and Entomology has expertise in three primary specialist fields: Parasitology, Entomology, and Behavioural Ecology. Our postgraduate students are successful in obtaining grants, fellowships, and follow-up positions in academia or industry, and our small department already boasts two NRF-rated researchers, who are also members of the UFS Prestige Scholars Programme. You can find more details about our research below, with a short description of each staff member’s speciality. If you have general enquiries about the department, contact:
Mrs MP Sithole
T: +27 58 718 5324
E: sitholeMP@qwa.ufs.ac.za
Staff list:
Dr Emile Bredenhand
E: ebredenhand@gmail.com
I am a quantitative ecologist in the field of Entomology, focusing my studies on monitoring. I am looking for students that are interested in ecosystem assessment, the identification of species as bioindicators, the use and development of indices, pest and vector monitoring or population dynamics within grassland, mountain, wetland, conservation, agricultural or freshwater ecosystems.
Dr Aliza le Roux
E: lerouxa3@qwa.ufs.ac.za
I am a behavioural ecologist focusing on the cognitive ecology of wild and captive mammals. I am currently running two field projects in South Africa, focusing on parental care in bat-eared foxes, and the link between fear and cognitive abilities in Samango monkeys. I am interested in students who want to explore the cognitive abilities of mammals in particular, but will welcome any promising student who has well-developed project ideas that link to cognition and communication in any species. I am also happy to discuss collaborations with local and international researchers who want to promote the field of behavioural and/or cognitive ecology in Southern Africa.
Dr Mosiuoa Leeto
E: leetoPM@qwa.ufs.ac.za
My research focuses on immunology and pathology, with a particular focus on resistance to Schistosoma infections, and I collaborate with several institutions across South Africa. Students interested in biomedical research are welcome to contact me.
Prof Oriel Thekisoe
E: thekisoeMMO@qwa.ufs.ac.za
I am the lead investigator in the department’s Parasitology Research Programme, conducting research in the field of veterinary parasitology, with an emphasis on parasitic diseases of livestock. Our main research focus is on development of molecular diagnostic assays, prevalence and epidemiological studies, as well as parasite-vector relationship studies. This programme trains postgraduate students at honours, master's, and doctoral levels, and has excellent collaborations with several institutes such as the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, and the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Japan.
Dr Johann van As
E: vanasJ@qwa.ufs.ac.za
My research is a new and unexplored field in South Africa. I focus on the systematics and ecology of blood parasites of reptiles, specifically Apicomplexan infections of high-altitude montane cordylids in the Eastern Free State. I am also interested in the elucidation of Hepatozoon spp. life cycles in South African lizards. Systematic work on lizard malaria is another focus area of my research on some lizards in the Free State, North-West and Mpumalanga provinces. Applications from interested students at honours, master's, and doctoral levels of study are welcome.
Mrs Michelle van As
E: vanasM@qwa.ufs.ac.za
I am currently conducting research on leopard metabolomics, assessing individuals from captive and wild populations across South Africa. My wider research interests lie in big cats and behavioural ecology. In the future, I will be happy to discuss project ideas with honours students who also want to study big cats, especially in the wild.