My vision for the future of research at UP and how I will contribute to this development
I would like to see UP involved in research that is locally relevant but with global impact. South Africa has a wealth of indigenous knowledge that can be exploited to solve global problems. In my field we are fortunate that South Africa provides a perfect landscape to study the ecosystem and its impact on emerging and reemerging diseases and their control. Under the concept of “One Health” many scientists already agree that answers for numerous of scientific questions can only come from multidisciplinary approaches that will explore the interactions between human, wildlife, livestock and the environment. Besides recognizing that the health of humans is connected to the health of animals and the environment, the “One Health” approach encourages expansion of interdisciplinary collaborations. If we want to have impact, working as an island is not an option; more significant, this will provide better funding opportunities for our research, especially with the impending financial constraints our Universities are facing. I am already involved in a project that is investigating the role of trade and stock movement in the epidemiology of cattle theileriosis in former theileriosis free areas. I intend to be more involved in similar projects in the future, where I will have an opportunity to work with professionals outside my field of expertise.