The BIO Africa Convention will feature the world’s leading scientists on 24-26 August 2020. The three-day programme will host a women-only panel featuring renowned, accomplished academics.
Professor Koleka Mlisana
Professor Koleka Mlisana, MBChB, MMedPath (Micro), PhD, is the Executive Manager of Academic Affairs, Research, and Quality Assurance at the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS).
She has served in numerous bodies previously; HOD Medical Microbiology at UKZN/IALCH; as well as serving a term as a member of the NHLS Board. Professor Mlisana has further played a vital role in contributing towards research studies focusing on HIV and TB studies; being a co-investigator and Project Director of the Centre for AID Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) 004 Tenofovir gel trial at the eThekwini site and Head of HIV Pathogenesis and Vaccine Research Programme at CAPRISA.
She has undertaken seminal research which has revealed how the body responds during acute HIV infection. She was also previously the Protocol-co-Chair and Project Director of the CAPRISA 002 study, a > 10-year follow-up study of patients with acute HIV infection. Currently, Professor Mlisana’s research interest revolves around TB diagnostics, drug resistance, as well as Sexually Transmitted Infections.
She has co-authored more than 130 peer-reviewed research articles and has been a Member of the Board of the South African Medical Research Council. She currently chairs the Ministerial Advisory Committee focusing on Antimicrobial Resistance, as well as being a Member of the Board of Trustees for the South African National AIDS Council.
Research Papers – Co-Authored:
Covid-19: Decisive action is the hallmark of South Africa’s early success against coronavirus. 2020. BMJ 2020; 369 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1623.
Genomic Analysis of Carbapenemase-Producing Extensively Drug-Resistant Klebsiella Isolates Reveals the Horizontal Spread of p18-43_01 Plasmid Encoding blaNDM-1 in South Africa. 2020. Microorganisms. 8 (1), 137. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8010137.
Impact of Viral Load Monitoring on Retention and Viral Suppression: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of South Africa’s National Laboratory Cohort (Accepted manuscript).
American Journal of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaa140.
Pathogenomic Analysis of a Novel Extensively Drug-Resistant Citrobacter freundii Isolate Carrying a blaNDM-1 Carbapenemase in South Africa. Pathogens 2020, 9(2), 89. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9020089.
Recent News Articles featuring Prof Mlisana:
This year's event will take place virtually, and access to the convention will be free of charge. Registration is now open.