Professor Ben-Erik van Wyk is a professor of botany at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. His research interests are in plant systematics, economic botany and ethnobotany. He currently holds a National Research Chair in Indigenous Plant Use and is leading a project to record and conserve traditional knowledge about useful plants.
Academic career:
Lecturer, Department of Botany, Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) now known as University of Johannesburg (1985–1989); Senior lecturer (1989); Full Professor (1990–2012). [in 2005, Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) became the University of Johannesburg (UJ).]
Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation South African Research Chairs Initiative (DSI/NRF SARChI) Research Chair in Indigenous Plant Use, Tier 1 (2013–2018, renewed for 2018–2022).
National Research Foundation rating status:
National Research Foundation ratings: P (1991–1994); B2 (1995–2009); B1 (2010–2015; 2016–2021).
H-index and citations:
Scopus h-factor = 35 (4825 citations).
Google Scholar h-factor = 51 (14 232 citations).
Most cited works: Medicinal Plants of South Africa (1864); People’s Plants: a guide to useful plants of southern Africa (1279); Medicinal Plants of the World (979); Review of commercially important southern African medicinal plants [J Ethnopharmacol 2008, 119, 342–355] (304); Guide to the aloes of South Africa (256).
Awards:
Schlich Medal (1980 - best BSc Forestry student in South Africa); Junior Captain Scott Medal (1984 - best MSc thesis in biology in South Africa); FRD President's Award (1991); SAAB Silver Medal (2007); Havenga Prize for Biology (2009); University of Johannesburg Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence (2009); University of Johannesburg Faculty of Science Award for Top Researcher of the Year (2009, 2011, 2014, 2017); Elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (2013); awarded the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Research Chair in Indigenous Plant Use (2013); SAAB Gold Medal (2015 - for life-time contributions to botany in South Africa; MT Steyn medal (2020 - highest national award in science of the South African Academy of Science and Arts).
Research-related international activities
Visiting Professor, Center for Development of Biotic Products, National Polytechnic Institute, Morelos, Mexico (2014–); Member of Editorial Boards: South African Journal of Botany (Elsevier) – invited guest editor for Special Editions in 2003, 2011, 2013 and 2019; Phytotaxa; Biodiversity; Hosting of international conferences, e.g., 4th International Apiales Conference (Pretoria, 2003), 6th International Legume Conference (University of Johannesburg, 2013); Joint annual meeting of The Society for Economic Botany and the Indigenous Plant Use Forum (Clanwilliam, 2015); Invited plenary speaker, eg, 63rd International Congress of the Society of Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) [Budapest, Hungary, 2015]; 10th General Assembly of the African Academy of Sciences (Kasane, Botswana, 2016]; 6th World Congress on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants [Famagusta, Cyprus, 2019]; Board member of the pan-African “Herbal Monographs Project” and the Association for African Medicinal Plant Standards Ltd. (2005–2007); Advisory Board member, Global Frankincense Alliance (2019–).
Research-related national activities:
Chairman of committees, eg, the National Research Foundation (NRF) Evaluation Assessment Committee for Plant Sciences (1997–1999); Chairman of Indigenous Plant Use Forum since 1996 (organized 23 annual IPUF conferences); Technology and Human Resource for Industry Programme (THRIP)-funded collaboration with SA Druggists (now Aspen Pharmacare) to develop new medicinal products and new crops (1993–1999); Founding director of Phyto Nova (Pty) Ltd (1999–2004), to developed new crops and new medicinal products; Member of Briza Publications, publisher of colourful botanical books; Founding director and elected chairman of the “Aloe Council of South Africa” NPC; Leader of the “African tonic project”, as part of a multi-million National Consortium coordinated by the South Africa Medical Research Council and funded by the Innovation Fund (2004–2006); Member of the Presidential Task Team to develop a policy framework for African Traditional Medicine in South Africa (2006–2008) and main author of the policy document (Government Gazette Vol, 517 No. 31271, 25 July 2008).
