Webinar Planetary health

ITM Alumni webinar #3 Global Research Prize 2026 - Anna-Leigh Sharl La Reservee

This new series of ITM alumni webinars features the three ITM winners of the Prize for Global Research 2026. The Prize for Global Research is awarded yearly by the Province of Antwerp to research projects of master-after-master students of ITM and other Higher Education Institutes. Development relevance, quality, and originality of the master theses are key in the selection. Through this award, the Province of Antwerp wants to stimulate global research.

In webinar #3, MGOH alumna and Global Research Prize laureate Anna-Leigh Sharl La Reservee (South Africa) shares insights from her master's thesis, entitled 'Molecular characterisation of Bacillus anthracis and other spore-forming bacteria at the wildlife-livestock interface of the Ngorongoro conservation area in Tanzania.'

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Banner webinar with Anna-Leigh Sharl La Reservee and Henriette van Heerden

Anna-Leigh La Reservee is a veterinarian working in private practice in South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree from the University of Pretoria (UP) and qualified in 2023. She completed her Masters in Veterinary Tropical Diseases with a focus on Global One Health in 2026, in a collaborative degree between UP and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM). Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, her animals and being outdoors.

She graduated from the Master of Science in Global One Health in 2026.

In her webinar, she shares insights from her master's thesis, entitled 'Molecular characterisation of Bacillus anthracis and other spore-forming bacteria at the wildlife-livestock interface of the Ngorongoro conservation area in Tanzania.'

Anna Leigh La Reservee

The thesis explores the molecular epidemiology of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), placing Tanzanian isolates within a broader southern and eastern African context. Anthrax remains endemic in the NCA, where wildlife, livestock and people share the same environment and pastoralist communities depend heavily on livestock for their livelihoods. Understanding how B. anthracis strains circulate in this interconnected ecosystem is therefore relevant to microbiology and epidemiology, as well as public health, animal health, wildlife conservation and local livelihoods.

By interpreting molecular findings within their ecological and societal context, the thesis exemplifies a One Health approach, recognising that human, animal and environmental health are interconnected. Its findings support practical recommendations, including targeted pre-season vaccination, improved community education on zoonotic disease, strengthened carcass reporting and disposal, and closer collaboration between pastoralist communities and veterinary and public-health authorities.

During the webinar, Anna-Leigh will present her main findings, recommendations and conclusions. The Q&A, moderated by her thesis supervisor Prof. Henriette van Heerden, will give participants an opportunity to ask questions.

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