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Prof Michael Wingfield was born in South Africa where he obtained his early education. In 1983, he completed his PhD in Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota, USA specialising in forest pathology and entomology. Back in South Africa, he established the first formal forest pathology programme in the country, to serve a rapidly expanding plantation industry. Together with industrial partners, he established the Tree Pathology Co-operative Programme (TPCP), which is now the foremost tree pathology group in the world. In 1998, he became the first director of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria, which now houses the TPCP and other internationally recognised plant biotechnology programmes.
He holds an A1 rating in the National Research Foundation (NRF) grading system, one of only fourteen in South Africa, and is a Fellow of scientific societies such as the Royal Society of South Africa and the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology.
Prof Wingfield is passionately committed to the study of tree diseases, particularly those of importance to plantation forestry. His research interests are focused in the broad area of forest biotechnology. More specifically, his research group studies various aspects of fungi that are important to the forestry industry of South Africa, with a specific interest in those fungi that cause diseases of trees, degrade timber or that are potentially valuable in various aspects of the pulping process. His research programme falls under the umbrella of the Tree Pathology Cooperative Programme that is a cooperative venture between the University of Pretoria, HL&H Timber Products, Sappi, Mondi, SAFCOL and the Institute for Commerical Forestry Research.
Some of the fungi of particular interest and that are the subject of intensive study, at both ecological and molecular levels, are the notorious tree pathogens Cryphonectria cubensis that causes a serious stem canker disease of Eucalyptus, Sphaeropsis sapinea that devastates pine plantations after hail and a species of Ceratocystis that causes a serious wilt disease of wattle trees. Species of Ophiostoma (a group that includes the Dutch elm disease agent) have also been the subject of investigation for numerous years and are of special interest, not only for their role as tree pathogens but also for their potential value in pulp production and monoterpene bioconversions.
Prof Wingfield enjoys lecturing on tree pathology topics and does so internationally, where he also acts as an advisor to significant forestry organisations and universities.
He has served in many distinguished positions and received numerous awards and honours for contributions to education and industry, in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. Some include the Chancellors Award of the University of Pretoria (2002), the Persoon Medal of the Southern African Society for plant pathology, which has only been awarded three times in 42 years, the Scientific Achievement Award of the International Union for Forestry Research Organisations (IUFRO), the distinguished alumnus award of the University of Minnesota and he was the first recipient of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) national award for contributions to Science and Technology.
He has published widely on this topic (in excess of 280 papers in internationally recognised peer review journals, three books and 480 presentations at national and international congresses), is a committed teacher and has been advisor or co-advisor of 26 MSc and 24 PhD students, many now independently recognised scientists.
Prof Michael Wingfield,
Tel: +27 12 420 3938/3939,
Fax: +27 12 420 3960
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