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05 April 2018 Photo Xolisa Mnukwa
Global genealogy explored at UFS guest lecture
Karen Ehlers, lecturer in Department of Genetics; Prof Eugenia D’Amato, guest lecturer and Associate Professor: Department of Biotechnology at the UWC, and Prof Paul Grobler Head of Department: Genetics at the UFS.

Prof Eugenia D’Amato held a lecture at the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Genetics about the research activities she has conducted in her unit at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), in the Forensic DNA lab of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
 
The lecture focused on research topics she has piloted, including the use of forensic markers in South Africa. Prof D’Amato also spoke on food forensics, the identification of anti-apartheid activists, understanding human genetic variation, and the implementation of novel/refined methods, with a strong emphasis on the forensic use of Y chromosome-based information.

She concluded her PhD studies at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, at the forensic lab. Currently, Prof D’Amato participates in numerous genotyping international forensic collaborations.

 “A survey of existing genetic diversity,
the distribution of diversity, the forensic
parameters and applications are a few of
the subject matters which are important
components of the GlobalFiler project.”
Prof Eugenia D’Amato

She also belongs to the working committee of the “Innocence Project South Africa”.

Her training and subsequent experience in population genetics facilitated the design of a Y chromosome “kit”, as well as the analysis and successful identification of various individuals from highly degraded DNA. Her lecture revealed interesting statistics about how poorly represented African diversity is in the existing world population databases. She explained that mechanisms that drive differentiation include random “genetic drift” and historic demographic processes.
 
Prof D’Amato indicated that her “Database Projection” project for 2018/2019 aims at profiling the population groups of South Africa, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. She further explained that a powerful tool for forensic application has been developed, and that there is potential for other applications including haplogroup prediction and the study of demographic history, that will aid her projects in the future.

News Archive

SRC and student parliament elections declared free and fair
2004-08-17

The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) has certified the University of the Free State ’s (UFS) election process today ( Friday 13 August 2004 ) and declared it free and fair.

The process to elect a Student Representative Council (SRC) and Student Parliament started on 2 August 2004 and ended today with the announcement of the results.

“No objections regarding the voting process were received and the preliminary results were announced last night. A total of 2192 votes were cast, while 416 votes were spoilt,” said Mr Seth Phamuli, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of EISA.

Mr Alfred Geldenhuys, third year student in B Com Human Resource Management, was declared the SRC President for 2004/2005. Mr Geldenhuys was SRC representative for Campus Matters in 2003/2004.

The other members of the SRC are:

Vice-President: Annelise de Kock (fourth year student in B Sc Dietetics)

Secretary: Michelle du Plessis (third year student in B Sc)

Treasurer: Dida Coetzer (third year student in B Rek)

Academics: Cherese Laubscher (third year student in MB Ch B)

Ladies Internal Liaison: Tanya de Jager (third year student in B Ed Intermediary Phase)

Men’s Internal Liaison: Stef Conradie (third year student in BA Human Movement Science)

Transformation: Clayton van der Ross (second year student in B Com Human Resources Management)

Arts and Culture: AC Geldenhuys (second year student in B Acc)

Recreation and Internal

Affairs: Khotso Motloung (third year student in B Com Accounting)

Campus Services: Sylvanus Watson (fourth year student in B Sc Agric)

Constitutional and

Legal Affairs: Lerato Mofoti (fourth year student in LLB)

Dialogue and

Associations: Owen Kumalo (third year student in B Com Sport Management)

Kovscom: Estel Scheepers (third year student in BA Integrated Marketing)

Sport: Graeme Bradley (second year student in B Com Human Resources Management)

Student Development: Werner du Preez (third year student in B Com Economics)

Irawa: Jeanri-Tine van Zyl (second year student in BA Media Studies)

In the Student Parliament the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and the Kovsie Alliance were each granted seven seats, whilst the Here XVII was granted 11 seats.

MEDIAVERKLARING

Uitgereik deur: Lacea Loader
Mediaverteenwoordiger
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Sel: 083 645 2454
E-pos: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
 

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