Klaus Rohde

Klaus Rohde (born 1932 in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany) is a German biologist at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, known particularly for his work on marine parasitology, evolutionary ecology/zoogeography, and phylogeny/ultrastructure of lower invertebrates. Rohde studied zoology, botany, physics, physiological chemistry in Potsdam (Brandenburgische Landeshochschule, Germany) from 1950–1952, and, after moving from East- to West-Germany, in Münster/Westfalen (Germany) from 1953–1956. He received the degree of Dr.rer.nat. at University of Münster (Germany) in 1956 for a thesis on the behaviour and physiology of Paramecium. Subsequently, (1957–1959), he did scientific work at ASTA-Werke, Brackwede/Westfalen (pharmaceutical industry) on the development of new tests for screening anthelminthic drugs (filariasis, hookworms, cysticercus). From 1960–1967, Rohde was a lecturer at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, conducting work on the taxonomy, life cycles and fine structure of trematodes and monogeneans and supervising BSc. Honours, MSc. and PhD candidates. He participated in expeditions to various parts of Malaysia and visited many countries in Eastern, Southeastern, Southern Asia, and America. From 1967 to 1970 he was a Research Fellow (Habilitandenstipendiat) at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Habilitation in Bochum was successfully concluded in 1970 with a thesis on the morphology, life cycle and ultrastructure of the aspidogastrean Multicotyle purvisi. He moved to Australia in 1970 to assume a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Queensland, Australia, with research on the taxonomy, ecology, life cycles and ultrastructure of the aspidogastrean Lobatostoma manteri and various monogenea. During this period, he visited the Great Barrier Reef as part of his work. In 1972 he was Reader in Zoology at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. 1973–1976 he was Director of the Heron Island Research Station, Great Barrier Reef, conducting research on the taxonomy and ecology of Monogenea and Aspidogastrea.