Congratulations to CAPRISA’s new AAS Affiliates Members
CAPRISA scientist Dr Lenine Liebenberg (PhD) ( in the photo) and CAPRISA honorary scientist Dr Veron Ramsuran (PhD) are among 40 African early career scientists who were competitively selected to become Affiliate members of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) from 2020-2024. The new affiliate members were drawn from 19 countries across five African regions, and have each demonstrated excellence in the development and application of science in Africa. During the Affiliateship’s five-year period Drs Liebenberg and Ramsuran and will receive professional development support including grant writing, publishing and science communication.
As a scientist in the CAPRISA Mucosal Immunology Laboratory, Liebenberg’s research has highlighted the role of poor female genital health in enhancing HIV acquisition and focuses on understanding the causes of genital inflammation and the mechanism of its association with HIV acquisition to inform on the design of effective interventions that prevent HIV infection in women. Ramsuran, a Group Leader at the at KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), is interested in examining the effect that host genetics play on HIV and TB disease. He has special interest in examining the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes, the epicentre of disease associations across the human genome, as determined by genome wide association studies. Liebenberg and Ramsuran are also Future Leaders – African Independent Research (FLAIR) Fellows