IFCC Executive Board: 2012-2014 Biographies

Prof. Vanessa STEENKAMP, Member

Department of Pharmacology
P.O. Box 2034
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Email: vanessa.steenkamp@up.ac.za

Vanessa Steenkamp, (PhD), obtained her MSc in Biochemistry at the University of Pretoria in 1991. Her first staff position was at the South African Institute for Medical Research, now the National Health Laboratory Services in the Department of Endocrinology. Later, she was appointed Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand and obtained her PhD in Clinical Toxicology. She returned to the University of Pretoria as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Urology and five years later transferred to the Department of Pharmacology, where she is currently Associate Professor and Head of the Phytopharmacology Unit. Her research interest and publications have been in the area of traditional herbal remedies and their effect on patients, as well as the development of methods for the detection of these active compounds in biological fluids. In addition, she is involved in pre-clinical testing of traditional herbal remedies which includes the isolation of active compounds and development of new drugs.

Throughout her career she has been active in promoting professional activities, especially with regards to developing country needs. She was the Treasurer of the South African Association of Clinical Biochemistry (SAACB) from 2001 to 2005, where after she served as President until 2010 and is currently Past-President. Nationally she also holds board positions as Vice-President of the Toxicology Society of South Africa (TOXSA),

Vice-President of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (SASBCP) and Treasurer of the Federation of the South African Societies of Pathology (FSASP). Internationally her activities include serving as Director of Education on the Council of the International  Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology (IATDMCT), and Chair of the Drugs of Abuse and Clinical Toxicology Committee and member of the  Standards of Laboratory Practice Committee in this Association.

Prof. Steenkamp started her association with the IFCC as country representative for South Africa during 2005 to 2011. She served on the Committee for Congresses & Conferences (C-CC) for the term 2009-2011. She was first elected President of the African Federation of Clinical Chemistry (AFCC), a regional Federation of the IFCC, at its inauguration in October 2009 and was re-elected for a second term. She currently serves as Past-President. Prof Steenkamp  served her first term on IFCC EB between 2012 and 2014.

Prof. Steenkamp has written more than 105 publications and serves on the editorial board of six journals related to Toxicology and Ethnopharmacology. She acts as invited reviewer for several journals and has lectured worldwide at congresses and international forums. She has and continues to serve as organizing member on the scientific advisory  boards of national and international congresses.

She is the mother of four boys and the manager of a provincial chess team. Her personal interests include gardening, nature and reading.