Evolutionary Biology Expert Appointed to National Veterinary Council

Professor Sandi Willows-Munro of the School of Agriculture and Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), has been appointed by Minister of Agriculture Mr John Steenhuisen to serve on the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) – the first non-veterinarian zoologist to be appointed.

Willows-Munro will serve a three-year term on the SAVC, the independent statutory regulatory authority for the veterinary and para-veterinary professions. The SAVC is responsible for maintaining professional standards and regulating veterinarians, animal health technicians, laboratory animal technologists, veterinary physiotherapists, veterinary technologists and veterinary nurses. The new council held its induction and inaugural meeting in February.

Steenhuisen welcomed its establishment which unites a broad and diverse range of experts drawn from across the veterinary and para-veterinary professions, academia, regulatory practice and law. He said the depth and diversity of skills would strengthen the SAVC’s ability to fulfil its statutory mandate in the interests of animal health, veterinary public health, food safety and professional integrity.

“I am very flattered to be appointed,” said Willows-Munro. “It is a very positive sign, especially in South Africa, where wildlife health, conservation and livestock interfaces are closely linked.

“Veterinary teams, including vets and para-vets, bring clinical expertise, while zoological and animal science researchers contribute ecological and evolutionary knowledge,” she said.

Willows-Munro added that the interdisciplinary approach was essential for advancing One Health approaches, which recognise the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health and promoted collaborative efforts to prevent disease, conserve ecosystems and protect public health.

The role complements her service as a council member of the Zoological Society of Southern Africa (ZSSA) and the South African Society for Systematic Biology, as well as her role as Secretary of the International Ornithological Union.

Willows-Munro joined UKZN in 2010 and is an evolutionary biologist integrating her research with molecular evolution, phylogenetics and conservation biology. Her interdisciplinary work focuses on applying molecular and phylogenetic approaches to investigate the processes that shape evolutionary patterns at both the species and supra-specific levels. She tests evolutionary hypotheses across diverse taxa and ecosystems.

Willows-Munro, who has published 70 peer-reviewed articles in international and local journals, has presented her research at international and local conferences, maintaining a strong research profile. She also contributes to the organisation of major international conferences and secures notable research grants as principal investigator.

She serves on the editorial boards of several international and local journals, on the advisory boards of the Bearded Vulture Captive Breeding Programme and the Cape Parrot Working Group, and as a reviewer for international funding agencies. She contributes to training international researchers and conservation practitioners in the application of genomic data to biodiversity conservation. She has been invited to present seminars at universities overseas and, in 2024, was invited by the Chinese Academy of Sciences to attend the Asian Ornithological Conference in Beijing to assist in establishing the Asian Ornithological Alliance.

She is a member of the steering committees of the Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme, administered by the National Research Foundation, and of the South African node of the International Barcode of Life project.

Willows-Munro has supervised 19 master’s students, 11 PhD students, and five postdoctoral researchers to completion, and is currently supervising nine master’s and five PhD students.

She frequently delivers presentations to communicate scientific research and promote biodiversity conservation, and has written popular articles for outlets such as The Conversation Africa, PsittaScene, the Barcode Bulletin, and African Birdlife. She advises several conservation organisations and wildlife rehabilitation centres.

Words: Christine Cuénod

Photograph: Supplied