With over 20 years of experience in whale and dolphin research, her main interests and expertise lie in population biology, ecology, and associated conservation management. Due to her interest and knowledge, the Whale Unit's research projects cover a broad geographic and institutional spectrum, both nationally and internationally, and primarily focus on the role of large baleen whales in Southern Hemisphere oceanic ecosystems.

She is a member of the South African National Scientific Committee for Antarctic Scientific Research (SCAR), the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group, and the Red List Authority, and is also an invited annual participant in the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission. She coordinates the IWC-SORP theme on southern right whales, the Southern Right Whale Consortium (SRWC), the South African Humpback Dolphin Consortium (SouSA), and the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Network (HuDONET).