Rate My Professor Jan Slapeta

Professor Jan Slapeta serves as Professor of Veterinary and Molecular Parasitology in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science within the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney. He holds the qualifications MVDr, PhD, and GradCertEd (Higher Ed), having obtained his veterinary degree in the Czech Republic. Slapeta joined the University of Sydney in 2007 and leads the Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology. He is a member of the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute and serves as section head of the Veterinary Pathology Diagnostic Services.

Slapeta's research specializes in veterinary parasitology, molecular parasitology, evolution, diversity, conservation, and disease, focusing on parasites of both medical and veterinary importance as well as their free-living counterparts. His work encompasses fields such as veterinary sciences, veterinary virology, microbiology, and veterinary immunology. With over 9,519 citations on Google Scholar, Slapeta has significantly influenced the field. Key publications include 'Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826) recognised as the “tropical lineage” of the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato: Insights from molecular phylogeny, morphological and ecological differentiation' (Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 2022); 'Are ChatGPT and other pretrained language models good parasitologists?' (Trends in Parasitology, 2023); 'Towards precision parasite management for livestock gastrointestinal nematodes in 2030' (Trends in Parasitology, 2024); 'DNA barcoding of Cryptosporidium' (Parasitology, 2018); and 'Centenary of the genus Cryptosporidium: from morphological to molecular species identification' (2015). Recent contributions include leading a DNA study on the origins of heartworm published in 2026 and serving as senior author on research identifying climate as a factor in increased rat lungworm disease cases in 2025. He contributes to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine curriculum, embedding research and enquiry, and is a member of the Education Committee of the Australian Society for Parasitology.