Immunologist of the Month – 2026


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

 
 
 
 
 
 
International Union of Immunological SocietiesUniversity of South AfricaInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineElizabeth Glazer Pediatric Aids Foundation
 

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