Dr Susan Miller

DTech (TUT)

John Day Building: 2.04.1

Susan is broadly interested in the application of science to conservation issues with a special interest in genetics. Hailing from Canada, she has a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Guelph and an MSc from Laurentian University in Sudbury. In her MSc she investigated the health effects of radiation on caribou cells. Following five years working for the Canadian government as a radiation biologist, Susan moved to South Africa to pursue a career in conservation. Several years on game reserves, and a year in the Amazon rainforest, were followed by a doctorate in Nature Conservation at Tshwane University of Technology where she investigated the conservation challenges of managing lions on small reserves. She completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of Pretoria where she studied the genetics of colour variants in the game industry before joining the FitzPatrick Institute as a postdoctoral fellow in 2017.

From June 2024, Susan has taken on the role of Scientific Coordinator of the Max Planck – UCT Centre for Behaviour and Coevolution. The Centre is led by co-director Prof Claire Spottiswoode at UCT and Prof Bart Kempenaers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (link to Centre page here).  Susan will be involved in the administration of the Centre as well as research and co-supervising students in the Centre. Her research will focus on the impact of honey-hunting on honeybee populations using genetic approaches. She continues to pursue other conservation related research with ongoing projects on Lesser Sheathbill genetics, avian malaria in Cape Sugarbirds, and lion metapopulation management.

Recent peer-reviewed publications

For a full list of Susan’s publications, go to Google Scholar

Selier, J., Miller, S.M., Coverdale, B., Ferreira, S., Kruger, J., Parker, D. Wild lions in small, fenced reserves in South Africa conform to a meta-population. Ecological Solutions and Evidence. 5(3): e12341. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12341

Miller, S.M., Kotze, A., Harper, C.K., Bishop, J.M., Williams, V.L., Rossouw, C., Schoeman, J., de Bruyn, M., Dalton, D.L. and Selier, S.J. 2023. Genetic diversity and origin of captive lion (Panthera leo) in South Africa: an assessment and comparison to wild populations. Conservation Genetics. 24: 721-737.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-023-01530-5

Becker, M.S., … Miller, S.M. … Hunter, L. 2022. Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations. Frontiers in Conservation Science. 3 – 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2022.963961

Bertola, L.D., Miller, S.M., Williams, V.L., … Lindsey, P.A. 2022. Genetic guidelines for translocations: maintaining intra-specific diversity in the lion (Panthera leo). Evolutionary Applications. 15(1): 22-39.

Miller, S.M., Barnes, K.N., Bloomer, P., Ryan, P.G.R. 2021. Phylogeography and morphometric variation of the Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata complex. Ostrich. 92(2): 94-104.

Miller, S.M., Moeller, C.H., Harper, C.K., Bloomer, P. 2020. Anthropogenetic movement results in hybridisation in impala in southern Africa. Conservation Genetics. 21(4): 653-663.

Miller, S.M., Druce, D.J., Dalton, D.L., Harper, C.K., Kotze, A., Packer, C., Slotow, R., Bloomer, P. 2020. Genetic rescue of an isolated African lion population. Conservation Genetics. 21(1): 41-53