Palaeobiologist; Comparative bone & teeth histology of extant & extinct vertebrates
Phone: Tel Ext no.: 021 650 3604
Email: Anusuya.Chinsamy-Turan@uct.ac.za
twitter handle: @palaeo_prof
Overview
Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is a palaeobiologist in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town. She is a global expert on the microscopic structure of the bones of extinct and extant vertebrates. Her work has been recognized by several highly acclaimed awards: For example, in 1995 she received an NRF President Award, in 2005 she won the South African Woman of the Year Award, which acknowledges her contribution to science both in terms of research and science communication to the wider public. In 2005 she also won the "Distinguished Women Scientist Award" from the South African Department of Science and Technology, and in 2012 she was awarded the NRF Transformation Award. In 2013 she was awarded The World Academy of Science’s (TWAS), sub-saharan prize for the Popularisation of Science. Professor Chinsamy-Turan has published extensively - both in international scientific journals (including 4 publications in Nature and 1 in Nature Communications) as well as in the popular press. She is former President of the Association of South African Women in Science and Engineering (SA WISE), former Deputy President of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and she has also served as Director of Iziko Museums Natural History Collections (which includes the SA Museum). Prof. Chinsamy-Turan currently Chairs the Advisory Boards of Scifest Africa, the biggest science festival in Africa and she is a member of the Advisory Board the Cape Town Science Centre, and in addition she is Chair of the Romer-Simpson Prize Committee of the US-based Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology, and serves as a board member for the Jurassic Foundation (US). She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of South African, the University of Cape Town and The Word Academy of Sciences. She has published extensively in high-ranking international scientific journals, and she has an H-index of 50. In addition, she has authored two academic books, The Microstructure of Dinosaur Bone (Johns Hopkins University Press, USA, 2005) and "The Forerunners of Mammals: Radiation. Histology. Biology" (Indiana University Press, USA, 2012). Besides these academic works, she has four popular level books: "Famous Dinosaurs of Africa" (RandomHouseStruik, SA, 2008); “Fossils for Africa” (Cambridge University Press, 2014); Dinosaurs of Africa (RandomHouseStruik, 2021); Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Life (Dorling Kindersley, UK, 2021).
Podcast with Scientific America on Thunderbirds
This Thunderous Goose Relative Was Built like a Tank with the Wings of a Songbird | Scientific American
Academic Minute:
https://academicminute.org/2015/08/anusuya-chinsamy-turan-university-of-cape-town-fossilized-clues/
Beautiful news:
https://www.beautifulnews.co.za/stories/anusuya-chinsamy-turan?rq=anusuya%20
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b7oJrZ1gtY
Publications
Authored six books:
Massive Online Open Course (MOOC)
Extinctions- Past and Present : https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/extinctions-past-present
Education
Ph.D. University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, 1991
MSc. University of the Witwatersrand. Upgraded to PhD in 1988
University Higher Diploma in Education(U. H. D. E), University of Durban-Westville, Natal, South Africa, 1985
B.Sc. (Hon.) University of the Witwatersrand, 1984
B.Sc. University of the Witwatersrand, 1983
Experience
Professor and Head, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, 2013- 2015
Professor and Head, Department of Zoology, Univeristy of Cape Town, 2012.
Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, 2004-current
Director of Natural History Collections Division, Iziko Museums of Cape Town, 2001-2002
Co-Acting CEO, Iziko Museums ofCape Town, September -October 2002
Associate Professor, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Cape Town, 1997-2001
Specialist Scientist, South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa, secondment for 50% of time from UCT, 1997-2001
Specialist Scientist, South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa 1994-1996
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA 1992-1994
Lecturerv, Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 1991-1992
Part-time Lecturer, Schemerenbeck Centre for Gifted Children, Johannesburg, 1991-1992
Junior Lecturer, Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 1988-1990
Trainee Teacher, Burnwood Secondary School, Durban, Natal, 1985
Major Grants and Awards
The World Academy of Science (TWAS) and Region of Sub-Saharan Africa (ROSSA) Sub-Saharan Africa Prize for the Public Understanding and Popularisation of Science, 2013.
National Research Foundation (NRF) Transformation Award, 2012.
African Origns Programme, NRF, 2012
NRF Rating award, 2009, 2010
TUBITAK (Turkish Research Foundation) Visiting Scholar Award, July- December 2007, Turkey.
Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, 2007.
The Benjamin Meaker Fast Track Grant, University of Bristol, UK, 2006.
UCT Meritorious Publication Award in recognition of outstanding book publication, 2006.
South Africa's Woman of the Year, 2005 (In the Science and Technology category and Overall Winner, see www.sawoman.co.za).
DST, Distinguished Woman Scientist Award, 2005.
Helen Kenyon Lecture Fund, Vassar College, USA, 2005.
NRF Research Grant for 5 years, 2005- 2009
SAASTA Award for SAWISE project "A Celebration of Women in Science and Engineering", 2005.
Dept, of Science and Technology, Women in Science Awards, Finalist, 2004.
SAASTA's Science Lens Competition, 2004.
National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Award for Outstanding Contribution to Science Engineering and Technology, 2003.
National Research Foundation (South Africa) – 2 grants.
RSA-Poland Collaboration Grant, 2003
RSA-German Collaboration Grant, 2002
NRF Research grant, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
NSF Grant – National Science Foundation (USA), co-investigator, 1997-2000.
Royal Society of South Africa Gold Medal, 1997-1998 for research excellence.
Rockefeller Foundation Grant for SAWISE Travelling exhibit, 1997
DACTS Grant for SA WISE Travelling exhibit, 1998
NRF President's Award (SA) 1995 – 2000 for research excellence.
FRD Special Merit Award (SA ) 1995
National Science Foundation (USA) – Co-principal investigator. Research Grant 1995-1999.
Dinosaur Society (USA) - Research Grant 1995.
National Science Foundation (USA) - Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 1992-1994.
University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) - Travel grant to Europe, 1992.
Oxford University(England) - Travel grant to attend conference, 1991.
University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) - Travel grant to Europe, 1991.
University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) - Research grant, 1989.
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (South Africa): research awards, 1984, 1986, and 1987.
Lystrosaurus shield for the best presentation, 1986. Palaeontological Society of S. A.
Publications