Immunologist of the Month
Every month we feature a new interview with an Immunologist. These Immunologists are at the cutting-edge of research and education, they have kindly offered to give us their time and insight into their research and studies.
January 2026
Dr Doty Ojwach is a virologist and Senior Scientist whose work bridges HIV pathogenesis, maternal-foetal immunity, and viral evolution.
Doty earned her PhD in Virology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s HIV Pathogenesis Programme, South Africa, where she investigated HIV replication dynamics and viral protein function. A former SANTHE fellow and two‑time SANTHE Trainee of the Year (2017, 2018), she was also selected as a Lindau Nobel Laureate Young Scientist in 2020.
At Stellenbosch University’s Reproductive Immunology Research Consortium in Africa unit in South Africa, Dr Ojwach, as a Senior Scientist, now focuses on understanding how maternal HIV and/or CMV co-infection shapes foetal immune development, beginning with immunological interactions in the placenta.
Read more – Doty Ojwach
November 2025
Professor Asma GATI is a professor of immunology and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Tunis El Manar. She leads the Genetics, Immunology, and Human Pathologies laboratory at the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis. Her work focuses on studying interactions between the immune system and cancer to develop new therapeutic strategies.
Professor GATI serves as the Tunisian National Contact Point (NCP) for the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe. Asma also serves as the North Africa Representative within the Federation of African Immunological Societies (FAIS), promoting scientific collaboration and capacity-building across Africa. She is also the Treasurer of the Tunisian Society of Immunology. Her career combines academic leadership, cutting-edge research, and a strong commitment to advancing education and international scientific collaboration.
Read more – Asma Gati
