Dr Oliver, Shuné

Dr Shüné Oliver obtained her undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications at the University of Witswatersrand (Wits), shifting from the School of Molecular and Cell Biology where she majored in Microbiology and Biochemistry, culminating in an immunity-focused MSc in Biochemistry. She moved from working on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to mosquitoes with her PhD. During her PhD, she began her independent research career with NRF Thuthuka pre-and post-PhD funding. After obtaining her PhD in 2015, she was awarded an NRF Y-rating in 2021. Her work focusses on the global effects of insecticide resistance on the biology of malaria vectors. This includes understanding the effect of environmental stress on this interaction, characterising the role of microbiome in mosquito biology, and unpicking the interplay between insecticide resistance and the mosquito immune system.
Oliver’s research brings together her background in molecular biology with her love of mosquitoes. She is also involved in various aspects of science communication, with an aim of making entomology accessible to the public. She is intensively involved in academic citizenship, including executive roles in the Entomological Society of South Africa and Wits Women in Science committees. She is also actively involved in both undergraduate teaching and postgraduate supervision.