Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan

Prof Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is a palaeobiologist and Head of 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 the NRF President’s Award, in 2005 she won the South African Woman of the Year Award, which acknowledged her research excellence and science communication to the wider public. In 2005 she also received the “Distinguished Women Scientist Award” from the South African Department of Science and Technology. More recently (2013) she was awarded The World Academy of Science’s Sub-saharan Prize for the Popularisation of Science. Anusuya has an extensive publication record, which includes 4 papers in Nature and two in Nature Communications. She has published 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). In addition she has written many popular level articles, and has published two popular level books: “Famous Dinosaurs of Africa” (Struik, 2008) and “Fossils for Africa” (Cambridge University Press, 2014).