Programme Leader: Production Animal Physiology and Meat Science

Prof Webb is Deputy Dean (Research and Postgraduate Teaching) in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and professor of Production Animal Physiology in the Animal and Wildlife Sciences department at the University of Pretoria. He obtained the degrees BScAgric (1988), BScAgric (Hons) cum laude (1989), MScAgric cum laude (1992) and PhD (1994) from the University of Pretoria, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Ghent in Belgium and Nutrico in The Netherlands in 1997. Outstanding academic achievements include the Standard Bank of South Africa merit award, UP postgraduate and merit bursaries, National Research Foundation merit awards, AM Bosman gold medal, SA Society for Animal Science merit award, the SA Society of Animal Science bronze medal for his PhD thesis and a fellowship from the Flemish Ministry in Belgium. His postdoctoral research focussed on the effects of nutrition on fatty acid synthesis and aspects of growth modelling in livestock. He subsequently continued his research in the field of production animal physiology at the University of Pretoria and was appointed as head of department from 2005 to 2016.

His teaching and research focus on the effects of dietary factors, growth and growth modifiers on animal growth, adaptation, reproduction and carcass and meat quality. The research focus is specifically on ways to improve the efficiency of animal production in resource constrained environments in and ethical and environmentally acceptable way. He has published 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers, presented 134 papers at conferences or symposia, 30 technical reports, co-edited two books, contributed 17 book chapters, 33 popular scientific papers and 1 patent. He is a registered professional Animal Scientist and served as president of the South African Society for Animal Science from 2009 to 2014.