TPCP Team
Group Leaders
Prof Bernard SlippersUP Research Leaders Total:17
Prof Irene Barnes
Prof Martin Coetzee
Prof Tuan Duong
Prof Almuth Hammerbacher 
Prof Brett Hurley
Prof Tjaart Krüger
Dr Thabiso Motaung Motaung
Prof Sanushka Naidoo
Prof Emma Steenkamp
Prof Noelani van den Berg
Prof Albe van der Merwe
Prof Fanus Venter
Prof Cobus Visagie
Dr Markus Wilken
Prof Brenda Wingfield
Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology
DST / NRF SARChI Chair in Fungal Genomics
Prof Mike Wingfield
Dr Neriman YilmazExternal Research Associates Total:11
Prof Jeremy Allison
Dr Wubetu Bihon
Prof Treena Burgess 
Dr ShuaiFei Chen
Prof Pedro Crous
Dr Jeff Garnas
Dr Ilaria Germishuizen
Dr Mesfin Gossa
Dr Chrizelle Krynauw (née Beukes)
Dr Carlos Rodas
Prof Jolanda RouxResearch Fellows Total:6
Dr Janneke Aylward
Dr Tanay Bose
Dr Gudrun Dittrich-Schroder
Dr Wegayehu Fitawek
FABI
Research Fellow
African Association of Agricultural Economists Society (AAAE)
Dr Seonju Marincowitz
Dr Magriet van der NestPostdoctoral Fellows Total:13
Dr Juanita Avontuur
Dr Felipe Balocchi
Dr Johannes Christoff Joubert
Dr Charlene Clarke
Dr Firehiwot Eshetu
Dr WenWen Li
Dr Privilege Makunde
Dr Jackson Muyobela
Dr Nam Pham
Dr Manchela Francinah Ratsoma
Dr Luki-Marie Scheepers
Dr Myriam Solis
Dr Ariska van der NestDoctoral Students Total:28
Ms Simoné Bornman
Mr Callin Ceriani
Mr Lihan Esterhuizen
Mr Taygen Fuchs
Mr Christiaan Grobler
Ms Pilar Hemmelmann
Ms Fanelesibonge Hlabisa
Ms Vaylen Hlaka
Mr Nigel Kombora
Ms Sithembile Kunene
Ms Frances Lane
Ms Mabodiba Maake
Mr Sicelo Masuku
Mr Khulekani Cyprian Mbatha
Mr Tshepo Joseph Mmushi
Ms Ruth Nante
Mr Siphephelo Phungula
Ms Jenna-Lee Price
Ms Jane Baile Ramaswe
Ms Lehlogonolo Quecious Shalang
Mr Preston Shaw
Ms Nomfundo Shinga
Ms Benedicta Swalarsk-Parry
Ms Cheyenne Theron
Ms Alida van Dijk 
Ms Melandre Van Lill
Ms Lente van Zyl
Mr Edwin WanjofuMasters Students Total:30
Mr Adam Bazerbachi
Ms Caylee Benson
Ms Zandri Coetzee
Ms Janie Coetzer
Ms Sydney Cohen
Mr Kyle Craninx
Mr Sam Eichhorn
Ms Kerryn Fourie
Ms Nadia Gürtel
Mr Lehlohonolo Hlahane
Ms Chulumanco Majavu
Ms Bianke Marx
Ms Ongeziwe Mbhele
Ms Damei McCue
Ms Nondumiso Mngomezulu
Ms Mandisa Mthombeni
Ms Thobeka Mzimela
Ms Ayanda Phulula
Ms Lizzy Ramela
Ms Anya Roos
Mr Drake Slabbert
Mr Tolu Soogun
Mr Grant Terblanche
Ms Kayla Thomas
Ms Cairin van 't Hof 
Mr Bertus van Rooy
Mr Jandré Verster
Mr Keegan Walton
Mr Sphelele Zondi 
Mr Nkhoye ZondoHonours Students Total:5
Ms Tayla Bolleurs
Ms Wilmarie Cronje
Ms Rachel Jacobs
Ms Kaelyn Medhurst
Ms Marie-Louise TheronNew Publications
Aylward J, Roets F, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Seiridium insolitum sp. nov.: a new canker pathogen on Cupressus and Hesperocyparis in Southern Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology
10.1007/s42161-026-02302-z
Pham NQ, Suzuki H, Marincowitz S, Roets F, Paap T, Kapsosideris N, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Two decades of the Immersiporthe knoxdaviesiana (Cryphonectriaceae) canker outbreak driven by clonal pathogen lineages. Plant Pathology 75:e70274.
10.1111/ppa.70274
Gürtel ND, Pham NQ, Roux J, Nel WJ, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) The pine-infesting bark beetle, Cyrtogenius luteus (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), discovered in South Africa. African Entomology 34:e27477.
10.17159/2254-8854/2026/a27477
Schröder ML, van Noort S, Greyling I, Hurley BP. (2026) Parasitoid diversity associated with Phoracantha semipunctata and Phoracantha recurva in South African Eucalyptus plantations. . African Entomology 34
0.17159/2254-8854/2026/a25013
Schertler A, Lenzner B, Dullinger S, Moser D, García-Rodríguez A, Krisai-Greilhuber I, Voglmayr H, Bufford JL, Santini A, Ghelardini L, Capinha C, Reino L, Wingfield MJ, Thines M, Talhinhas P, Dawson W, van Kleunen M, Kreft H, Pergl J, Pyšek P, Weigelt P, Winter M, Essl F. (2026) Are novel and co-xenic associations common in alien fungal and fungus-like plants pathogens?. New Phytologist
10.1111/nph.71455