Africa
Christian Pirk
Christian Pirk is a Professor in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.
Christian received his “Staatsexamen in Biology and Mathematik” from the Technical University of Berlin – which was followed by his PhD from 2000-2002 under the supervision of Professor Randall Hepburn at Rhodes University (Grahamstown – South Africa).
Thereafter – he was a postdoctoral fellow in Professor Tautz’s group at the University of Wuerzburg (Germany) after which he joined Professor Moritz’s group at Halle University (Germany) in 2004.
In 2005 he joined Professor Crewe’s lab at the University of Pretoria and in 2006 he was rated as one of the TOP50 German researchers in the field of Behaviour.
In 2009 he accepted a faculty position in the Department of Zoology and Entomology – two years later he was promoted to Associate Professor and he has been a full Professor since 2015.
Beatrice T. Nganso
Dr. Beatrice T. Nganso is a Research Scientist in Commercial Insects under the Environmental Health Theme. She holds a PhD in Entomology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Her achievements are in the areas of molecular biology, physiology and behavioural ecology of honey bees, with a keen interest in the genetic and behavioural mechanisms regulating their interactions with associated biotic stressors (e.g. Varroa destructor mite) to improve honey bee health.
She is a member of the African section of IUSS, African Association in Insect Science (AAIS), and COLOSS- the Honey Bee Research Association.
Asia
Huoqing Zheng
Huoqing Zheng is leading a group working on honeybee diseases in Zhejiang University, China.
Taking advantage of the presence of both Apis cerana and Apis mellifera in the area, he is particularly interested in the host shift of honeybee parasites and pathogens, e.g. Varroa destructor and viruses, between the two honeybee species.
He is a duty scientist of National Beekeeping Industry Technology System supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. In the system, he has the responsivity to develop sustainable solutions against honeybee pests and pathogens.
Terd Disayathanoowat
Terd Disayathanoowat leads the SMART BEE SDGs Research Center at Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
Building on his background in microbiology and taking advantage of the rich diversity of both wild and managed bees in the region, he is particularly interested in integrating multidisciplinary science to support bee health.
Beyond Thailand, he collaborates with bee scientists and industry partners across Asia and is also involved in developing cross-border beekeeping policies for the region.
Oceania
Michelle Taylor
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South America
Patricia Aldea-Sánchez
Member of COLOSS since 2014, participating in the Varroa Task Force and the B-RAP group. She is also a founding member of the Latin American Society for Bee Research (SOLATINA.ORG).
Contact email: patricia.aldea@usek.cl
North America
Geoffrey Williams
Geoff Williams, associate professor, graduate program officer and longtime director of the AU-Bees Lab, is director of the new Auburn University Bee Center.
Williams started at Auburn as an assistant professor in 2016. He became an associate professor in 2022. Prior to joining the Auburn faculty, he was a senior research associate at the University of Bern in Switzerland. He is the vice president of the global COLOSS Honey Bee Research Association — the organization that establishes the standard protocols for honey bee research worldwide — and is also an apiculture subject editor for the Journal of Economic Entomology, one of the Entomological Society of America’s peer-reviewed scientific publications.
