The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Max Price
has pleasure in inviting you to the Inaugural Lecture of
Professor Nicola Illing
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Faculty of Science
Topic:
‘Evo-devo: Clues to morphological and functional
diversity in bats
and resurrection plants’
Wednesday, 19 October 2011 at 17h30
Lecture Theatre 1, Kramer Law Building
Middle Campus
University of Cape Town
Admission: Free
Guests to be seated by 17h15
Please RSVP by 12 October 2011 for catering purposes to: Michelle Moses
Tel: 021 650 4870 • Fax: 021 650 5628 • Email: michelle.moses@uct.ac.za
For more information: http://www.uct.ac.za/calendar/events/seminars/?month=10
Professor Nicola Illing is a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
at UCT.
She has a multidisciplinary background, having graduated as a Chemical Engineer
from UCT in 1983. After working at Shell SA for two years, she completed a MSc in
Microbial Molecular Genetics at UCT in 1986, and a DPhil titled “Regulation of
differential gene expression in the bacterium, Bacillus subtilis” at Oxford University in
1990. She was awarded an Oxford Blue for tennis at the same time.
She returned to UCT as a postdoctoral fellow from 1991-1993, before accepting a lectureship in 1994 in the Department
of Biochemistry. She became Head of Department of Biochemistry from 1998-2000 and continued this administrative
role as the Head of the merged Departments of Biochemistry and Microbiology from 2001 to 2003.
Prof Illing has published 51 scientific papers, including several in prestigious journals such as the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, USA, and Nature Cell Biology. She has an H-index of 23, and currently holds a NRF B3
rating. She remains sane by playing league tennis, aiming for a single figure golf handicap and taking on mountain bike
challenges.
Prof Illing will discuss her current research interests in Evolutionary and Developmental Genetics. Data from large scale
sequencing projects in the last two decades has shown that common sets of genes regulate development in animals
and plants respectively. Given the remarkable conservation of these genes, a key challenge becomes understanding
how morphological diversity has evolved in plants and animals. Prof Illing will present evidence that novelty evolves
from the recycling of existing genetic regulatory loops, rather than from the de novo appearance of new genes.
Prof. Nicola Illing
Inaugural Lecture Reply Slip
Name
Email address
I /We will attend the lecture
Number of seats required for the lecture
I /We will attend the reception
Number of people attending the reception
I /We will not attend
RSVP by 12 October 2011 to:
Michelle Moses
University of Cape Town
Communication & Marketing Department
La Grotta, Glendarrach Road
Rondebosch. 7701
Tel: 021 650 4870
Fax: 021 650 5628
Email: michelle.moses@uct.ac.za
Kramer