I joined FABI in 2021 as part of the Phytosanitation and Biosecurity internship programme. Following my internship, I joined the Macadamia Protection Programme under the supervision of Prof. Gerda Fourie to pursue my Master's degree. 

My Masters focused on developing sustainable integrated pest management strategies for stink bugs in South Africa's macadamia orchards. My research explored alternative plant hosts using a PCR-based plant detection assay to identify the plant material present in the guts of stink bugs. I tested micronutrient fertilizers for their effectiveness in disrupting vertical transmission of bacterial symbionts through surface sterilization techniques. 

I'm now expanding this work through my PhD, by looking at symbiont-targeted control strategies using micronutrient fertilizers and essential oil treatments. Additionally, I am evaluating biological control agents such as parasitoids for their efficacy against stink bugs and their compatibility with other integrated pest management tools such as entomopathogenic fungi. My research also incorporates the complete genome sequencing of the two spotted stink bug and comparative genomic studies, with a particular interest in genes involved in the development of insecticide resistance to better the management of stink bugs in South Africa's macadamia orchards.