Dr Daniel Amoako is a Bioinformatics Scientist at the Centre for Dr Daniel Amoako is a Bioinformatics Scientist at the Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the College of Health Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He has a longstanding interest in microbial bioinformatics; his research applies genome sequencing to better understand emerging pathogens and their mechanisms of resistance and virulence.

Amoako has been involved in several large-scale bacterial whole-genome sequencing projects and actively translates microbial genomic data into genomic epidemiology for the benefit of South Africa’s Public, Private, Food, Animal, and Environmental Health sector (One-Health Context). His current research focuses on using genomics to gain insights into respiratory viruses such as SAR-CoV-2, RSV and Influenza that causes various infections worldwide.

To date, Amoako has authored/co-authored 75 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and successfully supervised/co-supervised 10 MSc/PhD students.

Diseases and Meningitis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the College of Health Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He has a longstanding interest in microbial bioinformatics; his research applies genome sequencing to better understand emerging pathogens and their mechanisms of resistance and virulence.

Dr Jinal N. Bhiman began her research career in HIV virus-host dynamics, with a focus on how viral evolution during chronic HIV infection can be exploited to design preventative vaccines.

Through this research she performed detailed viral evolution analyses and isolated monoclonal antibodies through both single B cell sorting and B cell culture.

Following this, she was involved in assessing immunogenicity of various HIV immunogens in multiple animal models, including mice, rabbits and non-human primates.
Bhiman’s more recent research within the viral respiratory pathogen field focuses on influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). She has been involved in the development of diagnostics, surveillance, antigenic characterisation and whole genome sequencing for these three viruses. She has also been involved in investigating vaccine and infection induced antibody responses in the periphery and mucosa to SARS-CoV-2.
Bhiman was the laboratory lead on assay development, validation and implementation during the early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in South Africa and led the rapid set-up and verification of an in-house diagnostic test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. She has provided expert advice to the WHO and Africa CDC lab diagnostics working group, as well as the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Viral Evolution. In addition, she is the PI on a European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) grant aimed at developing an affordable, point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 and using genomic surveillance to inform molecular epidemiology of this virus.

Dr Monica Birkhead (PhD) is currently employed as a Medical Scientist in the Electron Microscope Laboratory of the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases located in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her previous work experience includes research assistant at the University of Witwatersrand and an aquatic biological toxicologist.

Jessica Coertse holds a PhD in Microbiology and is a Medical Scientist in the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa. She also has an appointment as an extraordinary lecturer in the Department of Medical Virology and is a member of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses at the University of Pretoria. Her main research interests are diagnostic development, surveillance and pathogenesis of zoonotic- and arboviruses.

Bianca Da Costa Dias is a Senior Medical Scientist at the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Reference Laboratory within the Centre for HIV and STIs at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) located in Johannesburg, South Africa. She conducts STI-related surveillance and research, with a specific focus of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
She was awarded a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand, under the discipline of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, for assessing the role of the 37kDa/67kDa Laminin receptor in amyloid beta-mediated pathogenesis in Alzheimer’s Disease. Upon completion of her doctoral studies, she sought to apply her skills and knowledge to research involving Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). She worked as a postdoctoral fellow within the HIV Cell Biology laboratory of Prof C. Tiemessen at the NICD for five years. During her postdoctoral tenure she conducted both genetic and immunological/ functional studies in attempts to further understand 1) differential abilities of certain HIV-infected individuals’ to naturally control HIV-viraemia; 2) the proviral HIV reservoir; and 3) the immunological restorative effects of very early- ART initiation in perinatally infected children.
The driving force behind her decision to pursue a scientific profession is her desire to contribute towards attaining tangible solutions to devastating human health problems. She has a passion for helping people and the ability to combine research, surveillance and health communication to assist communities beyond the laboratory is a powerful motivator in her career.

Dr Yael Dahan-Moss is employed as a Medical Scientist at the Vector Control Reference Laboratory (VCRL) located at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology in 2012, after which she joined VCRL as a postdoctoral fellow before being employed at the centre as a Medical Scientist. Dahan-Moss has a joint staff appointment with the Wits Research Institute for Malaria within the School of Pathology.
Her research interest includes investigating the molecular biology ofAnopheles malaria vectors species, with special interest in Anopheles funestus. Understanding the underlying molecular factors that influence the physiology of the major malaria vectors is necessary for the development of sustainable vector control strategies. She has been supervising/co-supervising different research projects that focus on the molecular and physiological biology ofAnopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus. These research projects produced very interesting and important findings regarding malaria vectors biology, which was communicated in peer-reviewed articles and scientific presentations.

Dr Mignon du Plessis works at the Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis (CRDM) at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa. She obtained her PhD from the University of the Witwatersrandand and has a broad background in microbiology and molecular biology, with specific training and expertise in molecular characterisation of respiratory and meningitis-causing pathogens and specialised molecular diagnostics.
Her activities include managing various molecular activities of the department related to surveillance, research, outbreak response and diagnostic testing and pathogen characterisation for the following pathogens: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Corynebacterium diphtheriae and atypical pneumonia-causing pathogens (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Legionella spp. and Bordetella pertussis), influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2.
CRDM serves as a World Health Organization (WHO) regional reference laboratory for molecular testing of CSF specimens collected in southern African countries participating in pediatric invasive bacterial meningitis surveillance. Additionally, the centre serves as a WHO regional reference laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 and a WHO national influenza centre. This function includes laboratory support and training in-country as well as externally in other African countries. To date, Du Plessis has authored/co-authored 68 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and successfully supervised 9 MSc/PhD students. She is registered with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a Medical Biological Scientist (Microbiology) and has a National Research Foundation rating of C2 (established researcher).

Dr Ahmad Haeri Mazanderani (MBChB, Dip HIVMan (SA), MMed, FC Path (SA) Viro, PhD) is a Clinical Virologist in the Centre for HIV & STIs at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa. His primary responsibilities include paediatric HIV surveillance and reporting to the National Department of Health. Mazanderani has a particular interest in paediatric HIV diagnosis, and how to ensure accurate results are provided within the context of an ever-changing epidemiological landscape.

Dr Orienka Hellferscee works as a Medical Scientist in the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Her research interest includes research on arboviruses with a special focus on molecular epidemiology and development of serological assays for detection of emerging arboviruses.
She has previously conducted research on respiratory viruses and has over 40 publications and 650 citations in international journals. She has acted as technical advisor to the World Health Organization on influenza surveillance and is registered with the South African Health Professional Council as a Medical Scientist.