Rate My Professor Adrian Tordiffe

Adrian S.W. Tordiffe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Paraclinical Sciences at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science and holds the title of Veterinary Wildlife Specialist. He earned a BVSc, an MSc in African Mammalogy, and a PhD in Biochemistry. His research employs a systems biology approach to investigate cheetah physiology, nutrition, health, and welfare, with particular emphasis on chronic conditions such as lymphoplasmacytic gastritis, renal diseases, and neurological disorders in captive cheetahs. Key projects examine field anaesthesia and capture-induced hyperthermia in cheetahs, the effects of glycine supplementation, glycine conjugation in xenobiotic metabolism, stress responses to management practices, gastric acid production and protein digestion, and creatine metabolism in skeletal muscle and other systems.

Tordiffe received the South African Veterinary Association Research Award in 2019 for his contributions to cheetah health research. He maintains an active publication record in areas including metabolomics, wild felid health, and wildlife anaesthesia, with work cited extensively in the field. In addition to his academic role, he serves as a specialist wildlife veterinarian with a focus on carnivore nutrition, welfare, and anaesthesia, including leadership of cheetah programmes.