THE TEAM

Dr Daniel Malan Barry

Dr Daniel Malan Barry holds a bachelors degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Pretoria, and masters (cum laude) and doctorate degrees (under the guidance of Prof. Robert Godke from Louisiana State University, USA) from the University of Stellenbosch. He has been in veterinary practice for 12 years, and joined the Department of Animal Sciences of the University of Stellenbosch in 1984. He initiated a research program in assisted reproduction in 1987, and has produced many scientific articles and has given numerous international conference presentations.

Dr. Barry's expertise lies in assisted reproduction in animals as well as stem cell research. He has given 14 international courses in assisted reproduction, and was leader of the team that cultured stem cells and mammalian embryos under weightlessness conditions at the International Space Station in 2002, a first in the world and the only successful attempt up to this stage. He has earned more than R6m in research grants for the university during the past three years.

Dr. Barry is an internationally recognized researcher and scientist, and is a member of a number of international research organizations.

Professor Erwin Schwella

Professor Erwin Schwella is currently the Professor of Public Leadership at the School of Public Management and Planning, at the University of Stellenbosch. In the recent past he was the Director of this School for twelve years. He holds the following degrees: BA Law;BA (Hons) in Sociology;Honours B. P A; MPA; and a PhD.

All these degrees were obtained from the University of Stellenbosch. Both Honours degrees were obtained cum laude.

Professor Schwella worked in the public sector in human resource management and development for 5 years after which he was appointed to the University of Stellenbosch as a junior lecturer in 1981. Subsequently he was promoted through all the academic ranks to become Professor and Director of the School of Public Management on 1 January 1992. He held the position of Director for 12 years and led the School to become a world class policy and management School.

Professor Schwella is also involved in many other national and international matters concerning public and development management. He has delivered numerous papers at national and international conferences. He also served as a consultant to the British Civil Service College on South African public administration. He was a senior visiting fellow at that College during 1992 where he taught on the management development programme that the College presented to previously exiled senior officials of the South African liberation movements.

During 1994 he was a research fellow with the European Centre for Development Policy and Management (ECDPM) in Maastricht, Netherlands and also spent some time working and studying in the Scottish Office, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. In 1999 he was a visiting Professor at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and spent some time at Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He has also paid academic visits to many other academic institutions in Africa, Europe and the United States.

He has published widely in academic journals and is co-author of the well-known academic textbooks including Public Management and Public Resource Management. Currently he also serves on the editorial boards of one South African and three international academic journals.

Professor Schwella has held and still holds numerous high-level national, provincial and local government advisory and consultancy briefs. Amongst others he served in advisory capacities to the South African Ministers of Safety and Security and Public Service and Administration as well as Provincial Ministers and the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Cape Metropolitan Council. Currently he consults in the health field on regulatory and public private partnership issues. He is also continuously involved in senior leadership education and training at all levels of South African governance and administration.

His current research interests include leadership in governance, institutional capacity building through organisation development, transformation and change management in complex and dynamic societies, strategic thinking and new forms of accountability in service delivery models.

Prof Erwin Schwella is listed in Who's Who in the World as one of the most accomplished people around the world in his fields of endeavour.

Professor Johannes Albertus Moolman

Professor Johan Moolman is currently an associate professor in medical physiology and biochemistry at Stellenbosch University. He is a trained medical doctor with specialisations in medical physiology, internal medicine and cardiology.

His medical qualifications are:

MB ChB, University of Pretoria
FCP (SA), Colleges of Medicine of South Africa
MMed (Internal Medicine), University of Stellenbosch
Ph D, University of Stellenbosch
Certificate in Cardiology, Colleges of Medicine of South Africa

He holds many distinctions for his medical and academic work. Some of these awards include:

A Post - doctoral Stipendium from the Medical Research Council of South Africa, 1991;
Best MMed candidate, Medical Faculty, University of Stellenbosch, 1992;
Post-doctoral Stipendium, Faculty of Medicine, University of Stellenbosch, 1995
Fogarty International Committee Stipendium, National Institutes of Health, U.S.A., 1995
Post-doctoral Stipendium, Max-Planck Institute, Germany, 1996.
Professor Moolman has extensive post-doctoral local and international academic experience. This experience includes:

Post-doctoral work at the Department of Medical Physiology and Biochemistry Stellenbosch University; Post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Houston, Texas, USA;
Post-doctoral fellow and researcher at the Max-Planck Institute, Bad Nauheim, Germany.

As an academic and clinical researcher and research leader Professor Moolman has been involved in more than 50 local and international study projects in the areas of internal medicine, microbiology, human physiology, cardiology and related fields. As a result of his research he is widely published in South African and international journals. He has also delivered numerous academic papers and outputs at South African and international medical conferences. Proof of his academic research excellence is provided in the fact that he holds a rating as a recognized researcher from the South African Nation Research Foundation.

Professor Moolman has held numerous clinical positions in South Africa as well as in Germany. In these positions he has gained valuable practical and professional experience in his fields of interest.

Professor Moolman commands four languages, including German fluently.

Dr Jan-Peter Smedema

Dr. Jan Smedema is a cardiologist registered to practice in the Netherlands and South Africa. He is specialising even further in the field of cardiologic diagnostic imaging.

He obtained his first medical degree from the Free University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After this degree he further obtained the following qualifications:

- M.Med.(Internal Medicine); University of Stellenbosch, South Africa;

- Fellowship of the College of Physicians of South Africa;

- Cardiologist, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;

- Registration as cardiologist, South Africa

Dr. Smedema is currently in the process of completing a PhD degree (CMR in the diagnosis and management of cardiac sarcoidosis) at the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands.

During his studies and professional career, Dr. Smedema has held the following clinical positions:

• Registrar in Internal Medicine, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town;
• Senior Registrar, Cardiac Unit, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town;
• Fellow, Cardiovascular MRI Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London;
• Fellow, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam;
• Locum Specialist Registrar in Medicine, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom;
• Staff cardiologist, University Hospital, Maastricht.
• Dr. Smedema is currently practicing cardiology within the Lazaron Heart Clinic at the Medical chambers of N1 City Hospital, in Goodwood. The Clinic provides comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular services. He also acts as a consultant cardiologist at the University of Cape Town Private Academic Hospital.
  

The expertise and interests of Dr. Smedema is reflected in his associations and affiliations which includes being a:

• previous board member, Cardiovascular Journal of Southern Africa focusing on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
• previous member of the Dutch expert committee on valvular heart disease, Euro Heart Survey;
• reviewer for the Netherlands Heart Foundation;
• member of the:
  
• Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance;
• International Society for Congenital Cardiac Disease in Adults;
• Dutch Cardiac Society;
• South African Heart Association;
• American Heart Association.

Although still a relatively young bright professional and researcher, Dr. Smedema is widely published in prominent international medical journals and publications. He is also highly regarded as a clinician specialising in diagnostic cardiac imaging.

Martin Van Zyl

Mr. Martin van Zyl started out his career in the area of Public Health. After qualifying and working in the public health profession he pursued his studies in public administration and public health. He obtained the following qualifications:

• Diploma in Public Health, Peninsula Technikon;
• Higher Diploma in Public Health, Peninsula Technikon;
• Honours B.Admin. (summa cum laude), Stellenbosch University;
• MPH, Boston University, United States of America

After graduating with his first qualifications Mr. van Zyl was employed as an environmental health officer and worked in numerous municipalities. Subsequently he was appointed as lecturer in public health at the Peninsula Technikon. During his academic career he pursued his further studies and was promoted to a senior lecturer at his alma mater. He also held the position of Head of Department.

Immediately after the first democratic elections in South Africa, Mr. van Zyl was appointed as the first Director-General of the Northern Cape Province. He served in this position for two terms in the administration of Premier Mannie Dipico. During his distinguished career as Director-General he accomplished the distinction of being the most senior Director-General in the democratic South African Administration. He also established extensive international relations between his Province and international governments, including the government of Sweden and Canada. He chaired an international committee of Provinces of Canada and South Africa.

Subsequent to serving two terms as Director-General he was appointed as a special advisor to Premier Dipico and the Minister of Minerals And Energy in the South African executive government. He still holds these positions. He is also currently a Director of Companies and advisor to South African industry on economic, political and professional matters.

Mr. van Zyl has traveled extensively and has studied internationally in the areas of health policy, public health, health systems and public health. He has a keen interest in all health matters and is especially expert in South African health governance and regulation. He has a passion for black empowerment in the health sector given his background as one of the most professional black health professionals in South Africa. His expertise also qualifies him as one of the foremost black good governance experts in South Africa. He is currently extensively engaged in the transformation of the South African mining and energy sectors.

Nico Ackermann (Financial director)

Mr Nico Ackermann completed his articles at Fisher Hoffman PKF (Newlands) Inc. He stayed with the firm after articles and rose to the position of Senior Audit Manager dealing mainly with the preparation of listing documents and the audit of the firm's larger clients. He was actively involved in the listing of 4 companies over the last 5 years and numerous circulars and other documents required by the JSE to be issued to shareholders. He joined the JDH Group in August 2004.

Harry Minnie (Executive director)

Mr Harry Minnie has held senior positions in the employ of companies such as LTA, MF Kent and Zoutpan Diamond Corporation. He has also held interests in various smaller companies that he was instrumental in establishing.

Harry is a widely respected businessman, entrepreneur and venture capitalist with extensive knowledge and experience in the management of a diverse portfolio of companies, both public and rivate. He has an extensive network of influential business associates and contacts in South Africa, United Kingdom, Canada and Switzerland, as well as various sub-Saharan African countries.

Harry was a founding director of John Daniel Containers Limited in 1997 and was instrumental in listing this company by way of a reverse takeover of E-Data Holdings Ltd on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa in 2003. Currently Harry is CEO of JSE listed John Daniel Holdings Limited, Director of John Daniel Containers Ltd, Vinguard Ltd and founding Director of Lazaron Biotechnologies (SA) Limited.

Profiles of the Members of the Scientific Committee of Lazaron

Professor Robert Godke

Professor Robert Godke is the Boyd Professor of Reproductive Physiology in Louisiana State University's Department of Animal Science. An award-winning teacher and researcher, Professor Godke earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from SIUC in 1966 and his master's degree in animal physiology, also from the University, in 1968. He earned a doctorate in reproductive physiology at the University of Missouri in 1974. Professor Godke began his academic career at Louisiana State in 1974. In addition to serving as Boyd Professor -- the highest honour awarded by the university -- he holds positions as professor of veterinary physiology in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and is the director of the LSU Embryo Engineering Lab. His primary teaching responsibilities include reproductive physiology, reproductive management of zoo, laboratory and companion animals, animal biotechnology and gamete and embryo physiology. Professor Godke is a recipient of an award of USA scientist of the year, a former President of the International Embryo Transfers Society and has hundreds of publications to his credit.

Dr Carola Niesler

Dr. Carola Niesler is a cell biologist whose initial research interest focused on the use of stem cells to promote wound repair. She obtained her PhD from the department of Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, UK after which she spent two years as a full time researcher in a Centre of Excellence for wound healing research in Manchester. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch where she also heads a laboratory and research group. Her current work and interests includes leading a research group which investigates the recruitment of adult stem cells in muscle (cardiac and skeletal) repair and regeneration. She has recently been awarded research grant funding to set up a laboratory which includes facilities for histology, fluorescence microscopy, image capture and analysis and tissue culture. She currently supports and manages several research projects and have established collaborations with prominent researchers in South Africa (Hatter Institute for Cardiology Research), USA (NIH) and Germany (University of Munich and University of Ulm). She is currently doing research in Europe at the University of Ulm until she returns to Stellenbosch University in July 2005.

Dr Rachel Shuttleworth

Dr. Rachel Shuttleworth is a practicing veterinarian who holds the following degrees BSc., BVSc. and MMEDVet (gynecology). She specializes in equine reproduction, including semen collection and freezing, artificial insemination, embryo collection and transfer. She has specialist expertise in the transfer of animal semen and embryos. She is a renowned specialist with many years of research and clinical experience in her fields of expertise and has done extensive research in conjunction with renowned academic colleagues at the world famous Onderstepoort facility for Veterinary research and education.

Dr E du Toit

Dr. Ernette du Toit is an emeritus associate professor from the Department of Immunology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She is the head of the Laboratory for Tissue Immunology in Cape Town and still has teaching responsibilities at UCT.

Her qualifications include a MB ChB and MD degree and she have expertise in the areas of transplantation immunology, HLA typing and disease association, genetics, forensic case work and paternity testing. Her most recent expert work includes tissue matching for organ and bone marrow transplantation using techniques that include DNA based tests.

She currently is the Medical Director of the SA Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) which is the first African registry to receive accreditation from the prestigious European Federation for Immunogenetics. She has been an expert speaker and presenter at more than 100 local and 50 international conferences. She has also published more than 145 scientific publications. She is a Council Member of the International Society for Histocompatibility.

Dr J H Rossouw

Dr. J H Rossouw is a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist who holds MB ChB and MMEd degrees from the Universities of Pretoria and Stellenbosch. He has extensive experience of all aspects of his specialty areas. He works in both the South African public and private sectors as a specialist. He has a specific interest in stem cell technology and specifically in the area of cord blood stem cell collection. He is extensively involved in the planning and implementation of processes to establish and manage stem cell banks from his expertise base.

 

Lazaron Biotechnologies (SA) Ltd
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
Registration No. 2004/004630/06