Louis Heyns du Preez was born in 1962 at Ficksburg, South Africa. After matriculating at Chris van Niekerk High School (Vredefort) he obtained the degrees B.Sc.Ed. (1984); B.Sc. Hons. (1985); M.Sc. (1986) and Ph.D. (1993), all at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

After two years compulsory military service in the Air Force Nature Conservation Division he started his professional career in 1989 as teacher at a school for gifted children (Education Center, Bloemfontein) where he taught for two years. In January 1991 he started as a museum scientist at the National Museum in Bloemfontein specializing in amphibians and their polystomatid parasites. In 1992 he was appointed as Head of the Herpetology Department, in 1993 promoted to Senior Museum Scientist and in 1994 as First Museum Scientist and Exhibition manager of Museum. In 1995 he was appointed as Senior Lecturer at the University of the Free State where he was, until 2000, responsible for teaching Biology at first year level and Zoology at second year, third year and postgraduate levels. In 2001 the Potchefstroom University appointed him for CHE as Assistant Professor in the School for Environmental Sciences and Development.

Louis du Preez published 28 papers in peer reviewed journals and is the author of one book titled “Frogs and toads of the Free State”. He is a member of various professional organizations. Prof. Louis du Preez is married and has three sons.