I am a food scientist working at the interface between food security, wildlife utilisation and illicit trade, with a particular passion for the fisheries and bushmeat trade. I also have a deep-seated interest in the socioeconomic and human behavioural drivers of wildlife demand and consumption, as well as the multitude of factors that threaten the sustainability of the future supply.

Hailing from South Africa, I completed my PhD at the University of Stellenbosch in 2011, focusing on the establishment of a DNA-sequence database for South African fish species, as well as the use of DNA barcoding to evaluate the extent of seafood mislabelling in the country. This work was extended during my five-year post-doctoral stint at the same university, employing various DNA-based methods to identify the species origin of domestic meats and wildlife products. During my post-graduate studies in South Africa, I also worked as consultant food scientist and technical manager of a commercial laboratory for seven years, gaining expertise on food allergens, immunological techniques, food legislation and laboratory accreditation.

In June 2016, I joined the Mariani Lab at the University of Salford to initiate my current project – SNAPTRACE. This project aims to enhance our understanding of the intricacies of global seafood trade and to pave the way forward for more transparent, traceable and sustainable seafood markets, using one of the world’s most highly-prized, yet misunderstood, groups of fishes as a model: the snappers, family Lutjanidae.