Ms Venter, Ilze

Ilze Venter is an experienced Medical Scientist with an MSc degree in Medical Virology obtained from the University of Pretoria (UP). She started her career in molecular research at the Department of Medical Virology (UP) with a focus on waterborne enteric viruses and bacteria, especially hepatitis A virus, in raw, recreational and drinking water sources.
After joining the Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, part of the Centre for HIV & STIs (CHIVSTI), at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, she has accumulated extensive working experience in the field of STI research and surveillance. Currently, her main research interest is macrolide resistance and the molecular epidemiology of Treponema pallidum, the spirochete causing syphilis, in South Africa.
She is proficient in basic bacteriology, viral isolation in various cell cultures, ELISA, Immunofluorescence assays, Coxsackie B virus neutralisation assay, manual and automated total nucleic acid extractions, conventional RT-PCR and real-time PCR assays, probe hybridisation assays, HPV genotyping and analysis, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assays, DNA sequencing and analysis. Venter is also actively involved in the training of laboratory professionals, daily quality assurance and adherence to the ISO15189 standard. She has published several manuscripts in peer reviewed journals and has co-authored several more publications. Her research has been presented at national and international conferences. She is passionate about imparting knowledge and providing accurate and quality research to help inform the public and private health sector.