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Medicinal Plant Science
Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, natural products, plant biotechnology, tissue culture and evidence-based evaluation of useful plants.
Medicinal Plants • Animals • Genetics • Education
Connecting biodiversity, molecular science and education for healthier communities.
MPAGE is a collaborative research group advancing interdisciplinary work across medicinal plant science, animal genetics, biodiversity, biotechnology and science education.
4Research pillars
11+Postgraduate researchers
GlobalCollaborative outlook
Integrated research
From molecules to ecosystems
Combining laboratory, field, collections-based and educational approaches.
DNAGenetics
🌿Medicinal plants
🦌Animal research
About MPAGE
Interdisciplinary research with practical impact.
Our work brings together expertise in medicinal plants, animal biology, genetics, molecular methods, natural products and education. We support collaborative supervision, postgraduate training, shared infrastructure and research that responds to scientific and societal priorities.
MPAGE promotes rigorous, ethical and inclusive research while creating opportunities for students to develop practical, analytical and communication skills.
Research themes
Four connected pillars
Our projects cross disciplinary boundaries while remaining grounded in biodiversity, genetics and capacity development.
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Genetics & Genomics
DNA barcoding, phylogenetics, population genetics, conservation genomics and molecular approaches for plants and animals.
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Animal Biology
Animal diversity, genetics, conservation, ecology and applications linking biodiversity research with collections and education.
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Education & Training
Postgraduate mentorship, practical laboratory training, public engagement and innovative approaches to science learning.
Our people
A collaborative research community
Replace the short profiles below with photographs, biographies, ORCID links and areas of expertise.
RA
Prof. Rafael Felipe de Almeida
Group leadership • Plant systematics • Genetics
Research on plant diversity, evolution, molecular systematics, herbarium science and postgraduate training.
SD
Prof. Shalini Dukhan
Education • Biotechnology
Expertise in science education, student development and interdisciplinary biological research.
KM
Dr Kim Madikiza
Medicinal plants • Natural products
Research focused on medicinal plant applications, phytochemistry and biological activity.
MP
Dr Marco Pellegrini
Plant diversity • Evolution
Research on plant taxonomy, morphology, evolution and biodiversity documentation.
MT
Dr Mary Jane Thaela-Chimuka
Agricultural research • Plant science
Applied research connecting plant science, agriculture and sustainable biological resources.
SM
Dr Sipho Mbonani
Molecular biology • Student training
Collaborative research and postgraduate development across molecular and applied biological sciences.
Selected projects
Research in progress
Medicinal plant biotechnology
In vitro propagation, metabolite profiling and conservation-oriented cultivation of medicinal species.
Biodiversity genetics
Molecular identification, phylogenetics and genomic approaches for African plants and animals.
Collections-based discovery
Using herbarium, museum and laboratory collections to generate new biodiversity knowledge.
Postgraduate capacity development
Collaborative supervision, laboratory skills, data analysis, scientific writing and research leadership.
Research outputs
Publications and resources
This section is ready for your latest publications, datasets, protocols and student outputs.
Coming next
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Publications can be entered manually or connected to ORCID/Google Scholar through a simple update workflow.
Collaborate with MPAGE
Research, supervision and partnership opportunities.
Contact
Connect with the group
Use this area for the group’s official email, institutional address, social channels and enquiry form.
Email
mpage.research@example.org
Institution
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa