Professor Marietjie Venter has been awarded the distinguished NRF B2 rating, recognising her as an internationally acclaimed virologist. As an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Medical Virology and Director of the Centre for Emerging Arbo and Respiratory Virus Research, Prof. Venter's extensive work on emerging respiratory viruses and zoonotic mosquito-borne diseases has positioned her as a global leader in the field. Her research has significantly contributed to understanding the epidemiology, genomics and pathogenesis of respiratory and mosquito borne viruses advancing public health and vaccine development efforts in South Africa and beyond.

Over the past 20 years, Prof. Venter has focused her research on respiratory viruses linked to pneumonia and mosquito-borne viruses causing neurological infections. Her work has contributed to early detection methods, diagnostic tools, and genomic and One Health surveillance programs aimed at combating viruses like SARS-CoV-2, influenza, West Nile, and Shunivirus.

She currently serves as Director of the Centre for Emerging Arbo and Respiratory Virus Research (CEARV) which is housed at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences and is the NRF SARCHi Chair in Emerging Viral Threats, One Health Surveillance, and Vaccines at the Infectious Disease and Oncology Research Institute (IDORI), University of the Witwatersrand (April 2024-). She has over 180 publications with an H-index of 48 (Scopus) and over 10,600 citations.

Reflecting on the award, Prof. Venter said, "I am honoured to receive this recognition as an internationally recognised scientist. It is a reflection of the hard work of my research group, collaborators and students."

Reflecting on her research, Prof. Venter explains, "My work has always been about understanding the molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, working closely with clinicians, veterinarians, and entomologists to track and respond to outbreaks.We contributed to genomic surveillance for mosquito borne viruses such as WNV and respiratory viruses including RSV, Influenza and later SARSCOV2 as part of the National genomic surveillance network during the COVID19 pandemic describing noval variants of concern. ."

Prof. Venter's research focuses on the molecular epidemiology, pathogenesis, and early detection of viruses through One Health surveillance programmes. Her group was also involved in vaccine trials for West Nile in horses and RSV and influenza in humans She has worked extensively with the World Health Organization (WHO) as an advisor and chairs the Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, including COVID-19 (SAGO). Additionally, she was the deputy President for Africa for the of the World Society of Virology and selected as a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in 2022 and co-chaired the 8th World One Health Conference in Cape Town. She has received numerous awards, including the NSTF award for best research output by an individual (2013) and was a finalist for the lifetime achievement award in 2022 and 2024.

Prof. Venter will further expand research into One Health vaccines for humans and animals in her role as SARCHi Chair, building programmes to combat viruses impacted by climate change.

Commenting on her focus, she said, "It's challenging to have a narrow research focus when working outside of academia, where public health needs often dictate the research agenda. Despite this, I’ve focused on respiratory and zoonotic arboviruses, and my work has contributed to several PhD graduates who now work internationally."

When asked about her journey to the B2 rating, Prof. Venter explained, "It has been a long process, from obtaining my PhD at 28 to my postdoctoral training in the USA and my roles at NICD and CDC. Through these experiences and global collaborations, I’ve built a strong foundation for my current research."

Prof. Venter emphasised the importance of finding a niche that is both locally and globally relevant: "I have focused on emerging respiratory and zoonotic viruses throughout my career, and I believe this recognition will allow me to expand my work internationally, fostering more collaborations and contributing to global health solutions."

Her new status as a B2 NRF-rated researcher positions her to secure more funding and international collaborations. "This recognition will enhance my ability to build stronger networks and further my work on the One Health approach to surveillance and vaccines, especially in light of how climate change is driving the emergence of new viruses."