Louise du Toit

Email address: [email protected]

Tel: 012 319 2161

Louise du Toit is the Laboratory Manager and Project Coordinator for the HIV Immunopathology Laboratory in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pretoria (UP) since 2020. She obtained BSc in human genetics (2013), BSc Hons (2014) and a MSc in haematology (2016) degrees from UP.  She is currently in the process of completing a PhD degree in medical immunology. In 2017 she successfully completed her internship with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and subsequently register as a practising medical scientist with the board. She has worked at UP as a research assistant since 2017. Her major research interests include molecular medicine of immune disease, especially in the context of paediatric HIV. She is an active member of Metabolomics South Africa and the South African Immunology Society

ORCiD:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6355-6095

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-du-toit-464192119/

Andrea Prinsloo

Email address: [email protected]

Tel: 012 319 2279

Andrea Prinsloo is a senior medical scientist employed in the Department of Haematology, University of Pretoria where she holds a joint appointment with the National Health Laboratory Service. She earned a MSc degree in medical microbiology and is currently pursuing her PhD in medical immunology. Her PhD is aimed at evaluating the effects of in-utero HIV and ART exposure on infant T-cell and monocyte/macrophage activation, function and regulation of immune-modulatory pathways.

ORCiD:  https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0003-4003-2421

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-prinsloo-8a87173b/

Mieke A. van der Mescht

Email address: [email protected]

Tel: 0799080409

Mieke van der Mescht obtained a BSc Hons degree in haematology and a MSc in medical immunology at the University of Pretoria. She has been part of the HIV Immunopathology group led by Prof Theresa Rossouw since 2018. Currently, she is completing a PhD in medical immunology. The aim of her study is to determine and compare the immunological profiles and clinical outcomes by means of flow cytometric and cytokine analysis of both individuals living with HIV and HIV-uninfected patients admitted with COVID-19 to hospital in Tshwane. 

ORCiD:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7521-1756

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieke-van-der-mescht-803b36156/

Researchgate:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mieke-Mescht

Tafadzwa Nerwande

Email address: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Tel: 061 954 6718

Tafadzwa Nerwande, an MSc student at the Department of Immunology, University of Pretoria is conducting a research project to understand the inflammatory and metabolomic breast milk profiles linked to maternal HIV status and its impact on infant growth and development. The study will use enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and nuclear magnetic resonance untargeted metabolomic profiling on breast milk samples from both HIV-infected and uninfected mothers. The aim is to provide insights into the differences in innate immune and metabolic factors in breast milk and the maternal immunological environment affecting HIV-exposed but uninfected children's health.Tafadzwa holds a BSc Honours from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.