Bettine van Vuuren

Last updated

Bettine van Vuuren
Bettine van Vuuren.jpg
Bettine van Vuuren in 2006
NationalitySouth African
Alma materB.Sc. (Hons) Zoology, University of Pretoria (1992)

MSc, University of Pretoria (1995)

PhD in Zoology (2000)
Scientific career
Fields Zoology
Institutions University of Johannesburg
Website Bettine Jansen van Vuuren University of Johannesburg

Bettine van Vuuren is the Senior Director: Strategic Initiatives and Administration at the University of Johannesburg. She is also a Professor of Zoology and Director of the Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation at the University of Johannesburg. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Bettine van Vuuren studied at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She was awarded a PhD in Zoology on the topic 'Molecular phylogeny of duiker antelope (Mammalia: Cephalophini) . [2]

She subsequently relocated to Stellenbosch University following a postdoctoral position at the University of Montpellier II, France. Her research focused on game mammals in French Guiana and the results contributed towards the development of hunting laws for the protection of Neotropical game species. She was invited to become a core team member of the Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB) (ended 2014). [3]

In 2011, she accepted a position at the University of Johannesburg (where she established the Molecular Zoology Laboratory), and in 2016 / 2017, was awarded a University of Johannesburg research center (Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation). In 2021, she became the Senior Director: Strategic Initiatives and Administration at the University of Johannesburg. She has been involved with the supervision of > 40 PhD and MSc students and hosted >10 postdoctoral fellows.

Career and impact

van Vuuren believes that aspects of her research must have practical conservation and management application. She has driven research documenting genetic patterns for several of Africa's economically important game species (such as roan and sable antelope, black rhino, nyala and buffalo). Through ongoing interaction, she feeds her research back to nature conservation, industry and the general public. To this end, she was involved (2005-2007, and again in 2013-2014) with the Draft Regulations for the Biodiversity Act (#10 of 2004) as the Coordinator for the listing on invasive vertebrate species (excluding fishes) and was largely responsible, in collaboration with Dr Preston (Deputy Director General: Environmental Programmes, Department of Environmental Affairs), for the listing of mammal species and associated distribution maps. She serves, when required, as a scientific adviser to the Department of Environmental Affairs: Directorates Biodiversity and Conservation (this work relates mostly to the translocation and permitting of antelope species), as well as Environmental Programmes (this includes work from an alien invasive perspective).

In addition to studying spatial patterns on the African continent, her research has a strong Antarctic / sub-Antarctic focus. She has worked extensively on Marion Island (of the Prince Edward Islands) as a project leader and was the first female Chief Scientist in the South African National Antarctic Programme's annual relief voyage in 2006. [4] [5] [6] She serves as the Chair of the South African Committee for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) (International Science Council committees), and the South African Delegate to SCAR. She is one of the deputy chairs to a SCAR Scientific Research Programme (Ant-ICON), the South African representative to SCAR Life Sciences, and the South African representative on a SCAR Action Group on Integrated Science for the Sub-Antarctic (ISSA).

She has strong national (academia, SANBI, government, industry, etc.) and international (CIBIO Portugal, Australian Antarctic Division, University of Queensland Australia etc.) collaborations.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duiker</span> Subfamily of antelopes

A duiker is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. The 22 extant species, including three sometimes considered to be subspecies of the other species, form the subfamily Cephalophinae or the tribe Cephalophini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nyala</span> Species of antelope

The lowland nyala or simply nyala, is a spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Tragelaphus, previously placed in genus Nyala. It was first described in 1849 by George French Angas. The body length is 135–195 cm (53–77 in), and it weighs 55–140 kg (121–309 lb). The coat is maroon or rufous brown in females and juveniles, but grows a dark brown or slate grey, often tinged with blue, in adult males. Females and young males have ten or more white stripes on their sides. Only males have horns, 60–83 cm (24–33 in) long and yellow-tipped. It exhibits the highest sexual dimorphism among the spiral-horned antelopes. It is not to be confused with the endangered mountain nyala living in the Bale region of Ethiopia).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Edward Islands</span> Two small sub-Antarctic islands belonging to South Africa

The Prince Edward Islands are two small uninhabited islands in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean that are part of South Africa. The islands are named Marion Island and Prince Edward Island.

Dada Gottelli is a British Zoologist. She is a Senior Research Technician with the Institute of Zoology, the research division of the Zoological Society of London. She has worked with the endangered Ethiopian wolf, the Serengeti cheetah and the Atlantic salmon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay duiker</span> Species of mammal

The bay duiker, also known as the black-striped duiker and the black-backed duiker, is a forest-dwelling duiker native to western and southern Africa. It was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1846. Two subspecies are identified. The bay duiker is reddish-brown and has a moderate size. Both sexes reach 44–49 cm (17–19 in) at the shoulder. The sexes do not vary considerably in their weights, either; the typical weight range for this duiker is 18–23 kg (40–51 lb). Both sexes have a pair of spiky horns, measuring 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in). A notable feature of this duiker is the well-pronounced solid stripe of black extending from the back of the head to the tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jentink's duiker</span> Species of mammal

Jentink's duiker, also known as gidi-gidi in Krio and kaikulowulei in Mende, is a forest-dwelling duiker found in the southern parts of Liberia, southwestern Côte d'Ivoire, and scattered enclaves in Sierra Leone. It is named in honor of Fredericus Anna Jentink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre</span>

The De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, also known as Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre is a captive breeding facility for South African cheetahs and other animals that is situated in the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range in the North West Province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African leopard</span> Leopard subspecies

The African leopard is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa, but the historical range has been fragmented in the course of habitat conversion. Leopards have also been recorded in North Africa as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zebra duiker</span> Species of mammal

The zebra duiker is a small antelope found primarily in Liberia, as well as the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and occasionally Guinea. They are sometimes referred to as the banded duiker or striped-back duiker. It is believed to be one of the earliest duiker species to have evolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-backed duiker</span> Species of antelope

The yellow-backed duiker is a forest dwelling antelope in the order Artiodactyla from the family Bovidae. Yellow-backed duikers are the most widely distributed of all duikers. They are found mainly in Central and Western Africa, ranging from Senegal to Western Uganda with possibly a few in Gambia. Their range also extends southward into Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, and most of Zambia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African National Antarctic Programme</span> Government research programme

The South African National Antarctic Programme is the South African government's programme for research in the Antarctic and Subantarctic. Three research stations fall under this programme: the Antarctica research station SANAE IV, and one station each on the subantarctic islands Gough Island and Marion Island. These stations are managed and administered by the Directorate: Antarctic and Islands of the Department of Environmental Affairs. Borga Base was also operated by SANAP from 1969 to 1976.

The Mokopane Biodiversity Conservation Centre was established in 1979 and opened to the public in October 1981, as a satellite of the National Zoological Garden (NZG), Pretoria Zoo. In 2004 the NZG was proclaimed as a National Facility, as part of the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF). In April 2018 the Mokopane BCC was transferred to the National Department of Environment, Fisheries and Forestry as campus of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter's duiker</span> Species of deer

Walter's duiker is a species of duiker found in Togo, Benin and Nigeria. It was described in 2010. Its name commemorates Professor Walter Verheyen, who was the first to obtain a specimen of this species of duiker from Togo in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerida Wilson</span> American zoologist

Nerida Gaye Wilson is an invertebrate marine molecular biologist at the Western Australian Museum who has interests in diversity, systematics, phylogeny, phylogeography and behavior. Wilson has been instrumental in demonstrating the level of marine cryptic species complexes in Antarctic waters, testing the circumpolar distribution paradigm with molecular data, and using interdisciplinary approaches to show how Antarctic diversity may have been generated. Her work with NOAA on Antarctic Marine Living Resources has been used to regulate exploratory benthic fisheries.

Kit Kovacs is a marine mammal researcher, best known for her work on biology, conservation and management of whales and seals. She is based at the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Tromsø and is an Adjunct professor of biology, Marine Biology, at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justine Shaw</span> Australian Antarctic researcher

Justine Shaw is an Australian Antarctic researcher, best known for her conservation work on subantarctic islands, currently working at the Queensland University of Technology. She has a wide global research network, having worked in Australia, South Africa, sub-Antarctic/Antarctic and the Arctic.

Jennifer Lee is an Antarctic researcher, best known for her work on invasion biology. She is the Environment Officer in the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Edith Susana Elisabeth Fanta was a Brazilian Antarctic marine biology researcher, best known for her work on preserving and protecting Antarctica. She was a professor at the Federal University of Paraná.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian sand gazelle</span> Species of mammal

The Arabian sand gazelle or reem is a species of gazelle native to the Middle East, specifically the Arabian and Syrian Deserts.

References

  1. "Prof Bettine van-Vuuren". www.molzoolab.co.za/. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  2. Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine (20 April 2007). Molecular phylogeny of duiker antelope (Mammalia : Cephalophini). dspace (Thesis). University of Pretoria. hdl:2263/24033.
  3. "Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology Celebrates Success". academic.sun.ac.za. Centre of Invasion Biology. 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  4. "Annual Report" (PDF). academic.sun.ac.za. Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology. 2006.
  5. "Register of Grants" (PDF). ir.nrf.ac.za/. National Research Foundation. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016.
  6. "Team Members". antarcticbiogeography.org. Functional Biogeography of the Antarctic. Retrieved 10 June 2016.