Dr Sarah Clift

BVSc, MSc

Senior Lecturer: Pathology

Orchid ID: 0000-0003-1368-1215

Summary CV

I joined the department in 2000 and head up the IHC laboratory in the Section of Pathology. We can test for a variety of infectious diseases, including important African diseases such as Rift Valley fever, African horse sickness, Bluetongue, African swine fever and rabies. The laboratory is also currently the only laboratory in southern Africa with the capacity to immunophenotype a wide variety of tumours in domestic animals.

I am a passionate lecturer and in 2016 I was lecturer of the year in the Veterinary Faculty. I have taught several pathology modules to undergraduate students and postgraduate veterinary pathology residents. These include immunopathology, urinary pathology, cardiovascular pathology, reproductive pathology and haematopoeitic pathology. I currently also teach diagnostic pathology of dogs and cats to 4th year veterinary students and postgraduates.

I have supervised 5 MSc and MMedVet (Path) and co-supervised one MSc dissertation to completion and the majority of my students obtained distinctions. Currently I co-supervise 5 Masters and MMedVet students.

I collaborate within my department, in the faculty, the university, nationally and internationally. In 2010 I was awarded Young Researcher of the year in our faculty. I have published 35 papers and have an h-index of 9 on google scholar.

Research Expertise/Interest

In 2009 I obtained a distinction for my MSc on the Standardization and validation of an immunoperoxidase test for African horse sickness virus using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Both African horse sickness virus (AHSV) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) remain two of my research interests.

One of my strengths is to draw expertise together and another is to identify interesting research questions. As a result, I frequently collaborate: Departmental -  Prof. Christo Botha on laboratory models for plant toxicities and Dr Lieza Odendaal on Rift Valley fever (RVF); faculty - Prof. Andy Leisewitz on canine babesiosis as a model for malaria research and Dr Emma Hooijberg on canine lymphoma in South Africa; university - members of the Genetics department, Dr. Vida van Staden on AHSV and Dr. de Waal and Prof. Jaco Greeff on spirocercosis as well as Dr Christine Maritz on immunity to ticks in cattle; nationally - Dr. Christiaan Potgieter from Deltamune on AHSV, Dr Jeanni Fehrsen at the ARC-OVR and Dr Essa Suleman at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa on theileriosis in African wild artiodactyls; internationally Dr Sally Davis (Kansas State University) on RVF.  My PhD research is on theileriosis in roan and sable antelope in South Africa.

Postgraduate Students

MMedVet

Dr. DD Janse van Rensburg: Completed her MMedVet (Path) dissertation in 2018 entitled “Validation of an indirect immunoperoxidase test for rabies virus in domestic and wildlife species in South Africa”. 

Dr. SC Tompkins: Completed her MMedVet (Path) dissertation in 2017 entitled “Cutaneous neoplasms in dogs in South Africa: a retrospective study of 2553 cases”.

MSc

Dr L Odendaal: Completed hwe MSc in 2014 in the field of “Sensitivity and specificity of rRT-PCR, histopathology and immunohistochemistry for the detection of Rift Valley fever virus in naturally-infected cattle and sheep”.

Dr MM Steenkamp: Completed her MSc in 2015 in the field of “Genotyping of Spirocerca in black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) and the comparative pathology of spirocecosis in selected canids”.