Tshepiso Majelantle’s PhD research is focused on investigating the potential link between animal personality traits, social status and hormone profiles. To investigate this, she is studying naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) with the aim of investigating if social status is related to differences in stress-associated or reproductive hormone concentrations and personality traits in naked mole-rats.
A PhD student funded by the Oppenheimer Chair for Emerging African Scientists in Non-invasive Wildlife Research, Bruce Crossey’s research is focused on finding new ways to strike a balance between the growing need for ecotourism experiences that create memorable moments for tourists, while maintaining the welfare of wildlife species involved in these activities.
Jawi Ramahlo’s PhD project is focused on using small mammals as logical indicators of ecosystem health. She is collecting data on the population dynamics, behaviour, and physiology of small mammals across variously transformed landscapes to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities and land-use (such as agriculture, mining and eco-tourism) on natural ecosystems in order to investigate the stress response of small mammals to anthropogenic disturbance and seasonal variation in her study area.
Pia Riddell joined the Mammal Research Institute as an interning PhD student from Australia. Her PhD research is being undertaken through James Cook University and is focused on the use of species specific appeasing pheromones to reduce stress and aggression in African wild dogs during management procedures including translocations, pack formations and captive management interventions. This project takes an integrative approach to measuring the benefits of these pheromones by measuring the stress and aggression responses to treated animals through endocrinology and behavioural studies, as well as using non invasive immune measurements.
Dennis Umesiobi’s PhD research is focused on studying the reproductive and stress endocrinology of the critically endangered Riverine rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis). His project aims to determine the suitability of enzyme immunoassays for monitoring reproductive function and responses to stressors in the species. Further to this, he aims to assess the impact of seasonal environmental and anthropogenic factors on reproductive and stress related hormones which can help to better understand the needs of Riverine rabbits, and improve conservation efforts for this critically endangered species.
Loraine Shuttleworth is a PhD candidate with the Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit. She is investigating the bioenergetic response of lactating southern right whales to decreased prey availability and the effects that this may have on calf rearing. She will make use of photogrammetric assessments and a variety of laboratory techniques including stable isotope-, fatty acid- and endocrine analysis. For this research, Loraine is a recipient of the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s Small Grant in Aid of Research.
Mr Matthew Germishuizen is a PhD student at the Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit. His work is focussed on using southern right whales as indicators of environmental change and ecosystem function in the Southern Ocean. This will be done through investigating whether climate change and/or variability is driving recent declines in calving rates, as well as developing an improved understanding of contemporary Southern right whale foraging ecology and migratory behaviour by means of satellite telemetry.
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Ms Dominique Paynee is entering her first year of PhD in Zoology with the Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit. Her project involves research into the understudied, elusive Bryde’s whale found in South Africa’s inshore waters. Her research aims to use genome-wide methods to assess aspects of this small population such as census and effective population size and adaptive potential of this resident species. Her project also aims to investigate the phylogenetic relationships between the South African population and other global Bryde’s whale populations.
