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I started my academic career at the University of Pretoria studying towards a BSc in Microbiology. I obtained my BSc Hons degree in Microbiology, in which the project focused on the identification of nodule-forming endophytes found within Pavetta species. I completed an MSc degree in Microbiology with a research focus on identifying bacterial species associated with blight and dieback in Eucalyptus hosts using a multilocus sequence analysis approach. My PhD investigated the effect of environmental and biological stresses and the role these played in predisposing plum trees to infection by Pseudomonas syringae known to cause bacterial canker on stone fruit trees.

My research interests include the biology and ecology of plant pathogenic bacteria; plant-pathogen interactions, i.e. involving single species or polymicrobial interactions; molecular biology; plant disease epidemiology; soil and plant health.