Team Members
The Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU) consists of 23 members who have different roles within the unit. The members include molecular biologists, medical personnel, postgraduate students and tenured university appointees.
Team Leaders
The Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit has as its director Prof. Patrick Arbuthnot. Team leaders are Prof. Abdullah Ely, Prof. Betty Maepa, Dr Kristie Bloom and Dr Kubendran Naidoo.
Professor Patrick Arbuthnot
Prof Arbuthnot (MBBCh, PhD) completed his PhD in 1992 after graduating with a medical degree in 1985. After working as a post-doctoral researcher at Necker Hospital in Paris, investigating the development of gene therapy for the treatment of liver cancer and HBV infection, he established the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU) in the mid-1990s, where he serves as director and supervisor.
Professor Abdullah Ely
Prof Ely (PhD) completed his doctoral degree at AGTRU in 2009, where he focused on exploiting the RNA interference pathway to silence hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. Since then, he has worked on the development of novel gene therapy-based approaches to combat chronic HBV and mRNA technologies for gene therapy and vaccines.
Professor Betty Maepa
Prof Maepa (PhD) completed her PhD at Wits University in 2009, where she characterised Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mbt) ribonucleotide reductase genes as potential targets for novel anti-Mbt drugs. She joined AGTRU in 2009 and focuses on viral vectors for the delivery of anti-HBV gene therapeutics and vaccines.
Dr Kristie Bloom
Dr Bloom (PhD) completed her PhD at AGTRU in 2013, where she developed genome engineering agents to disable hepatitis B virus (HBV) permanently. After working as a post-doctoral researcher in Germany, she returned to AGTRU, where her research focuses on developing anti-HBV therapies and mRNA vaccines against infectious diseases.
Dr Kubendran Naidoo
Dr Naidoo (PhD) completed his PhD in 2012. His research involved the characterisation of a protein involved in membrane biogenesis and energy production during the development of the malaria parasite. He joined AGTRU in 2017 and currently leads the C1 platform to develop therapeutic proteins and vaccines.
Staff Members
Top row from left to right: Natasha Killassy, Creanne Shrilall, Konanani Phaswana. Bottom row from left to right: Nozipho Mlotshwa, Fikile Khumalo, Thobile Mtshali, Nyasha Gorogodo, Londiwe Mathobela
Postdoctoral Fellows
From left to right: Dr Lorato Modise (Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow), Dr Ofentse Matlhabe, Dr Tiffany Smith. Absent: Dr Rebecca van Dorsten
Postgraduate Students
From top to bottom & left to right: Pieter Jonker (BHSc Honours), Tasneem Farhad (PhD), Natasha Killassy (MSc), Palesa Masake (MSc), Nazia Samudh (PhD), Dylan Kairuz (PhD), Nozipho Mlotshwa (BHSc Honours), Nyasha Gorogodo (PhD), Keila Neves (PhD).