Dahms , Simone (PhD)
Ms Dahms was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She acquired her BSc in Zoology and Environmental management in 2012, BSc Honours in Zoology in 2013, and an MSc in Aquatic Health from the University of Johannesburg in 2015. She enrolled for a PhD in 2016 and is currently employed as an assistant lecturer in the Zoology Department of the University of Johannesburg. In her doctoral study, Ms Dahms presents the first study investigating the effects of Vanadium on the amphibian species Xenopus laevis. Vanadium concentrations in the natural environment are increasing due to human activities. Ms Dahms investigated the teratogenic effects on the development of embryos of X. laevis , documenting the type and severity of malformations observed. S he determined that the metal is not only lethal above a threshold concentration but can induce serious malformations during embryonic development. These findings are significant as they can be extrapolated to human embryos with a 75% accuracy level. Ms Dahms also assessed the physiological effects of the metal on adult frogs and determined that the metal can influence blood sugar levels in the organisms by mimicking insulin. The work from this doctoral study has been presented at four national conferences and the candidate has published one article in an international peer-reviewed journal.
Supervisor: Prof R Greenfield Co-supervisor: Dr A Nel Co- supervisor: Prof JHJ van Vuren
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