Researcher Summary
My research predominantly focuses on single stranded DNA virus evolution, virus ecology, novel virus discovery and virus structures. Dr Darren Martin (author of the most widely used recombination detection software; South Africa) and I have set up a wide collaborative network of scientists all over the world to study viral evolution though recombination, viral phylogeography and global viral movement patterns of geminiviruses and nanoviruses which infect a variety of plants. Our efforts in this field have predominantly focused in Africa and South America. However, over the last couple of years we have put in tremendous efforts in the Pacific region.
In collaboration with Drs Mya Breitbart (USA), Karyna Rosario (USA) and Milen Marinov (New Zealand), we have embarked on a novel concept of using top end insect predators to sample viromes in various ecosystems.
I have an active animal virus research program investigating the potential impact of circoviruses and avian hepadnaviruses in native and exotic parrot populations. Over the last couple of years I have developed new research programs to explore ssDNA viral diversity in various ecosystems throughout the world.
