Staff Profiles

PhD (Biology) - Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium)

MSc (Aquatic Health) - University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

MPhil (Fish Parasitology) - University of Zimbabwe

BSc Hons (Biological Sciences) - University of Zimbabwe

Professor Barson worked as a lecturer, senior lecturer and associate professor of parasitology at the University of Zimbabwe for 15 years before joining the University of Botswana in 2020. His research spans systematics, ecology and pathology of helminth parasites of African freshwater fishes, both wild and cultured. Prof Barson is an alumnus of the US Fulbright Research Scholar fellowship and a recipient of the African Union-TWAS Young Scientist of the Year award. Prof Barson served for three years as a member of the Aquatic Animal Health Standards Committee of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and also consults for the FAO, OIE and the AU-IBAR on aquatic animal health issues in Africa. To date, he has authored more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed publications.

BIO 112 - Animal Diversity

BIO 223 - Parasitology for Health Sciences

BIO 425 - Parasitology

Biology, histopathology and ecology of parasites of African freshwater fishes and other aquatic animals.

Fish health diagnostics, disease risk analysis and biosecurity  for aquaculture.

Aquatic animal diversity and biomonitoring.

Aquatic animal health, ecology, parasitology and ecotoxicology

Mabika N, Barson M, van Dyk C, Avenant-Oldewage A. 2019. Seasonal occurrence of metazoan parasites in Tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus Castelnau, 1861 (Characiformes: Alestidae) from Sanyati Basin, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. Ondersterpoort J. Vet. Res. 86: 1-8. 

Barson M, Mabika N, Cooper RG, Nhiwatiwa T. 2014. Histopathology and helminth parasites of African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) in relation to heavy metal pollution in a subtropical river system. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 30: 923-929.   

Barson M, Vanhove MPM, Prikrylova I, Huyse T. 2010. Parasite hybridization in African Macrogyrodactylus spp. (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) signals historical host distribution. Parasitol. 137: 1585-1595.