Anushka Naidoo

Dr Anushka Naidoo, PhD, is a Scientist at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA). Her work focuses on the clinical pharmacology of TB and HIV drugs; clinical and drug-drug interaction studies to optimize HIV and TB cotreatment in adults and children, HIV and TB drug resistance, and contributions of genetic diversity in African populations on TB, HIV and COVID pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, disease susceptibility and progression. 

Dr Naidoo participated in the CAPRISA 004 tenofovir gel study for HIV prevention and the SAPiT study that changed WHO and local policy guidelines for the integration of TB and HIV treatment.  She is the recipient of the NIH/Fogarty (K43) Global Leader award, and serves as the principal investigator several studies, including the  NIH funded R01 grant (1R01AI152142-01) supporting Bictegravir in adult TB co-infected patients on rifampicin-based TB treatment (CAP093 INSIGHT) and the cohort study of Dolutegravir dose optimization in TB-HIV co-infected paediatric patients (CAP256 ORCHID); and on the SA MRC/Department of Science & Technology funded Optimizing RifAmyCin and LEnacapvir Co-administration in HIV and TB endemic settings (ORACLE) and Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide cotreatment with Rifampicin in Children & adolescents with HIV & TB (BIRCH) trials. She served as project director on the Triage Test for All Oral DR-TB Regimen (TRiAD Study) funded by the EDCPT that aims to optimize the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. She also serves on the NIH/DAIDS Adult Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) TB Transformative Science Group and as a Co-investigator and Protocol co-chair on ACTG protocols and several clinical pharmacology working groups. She is a mentor and Honorary Lecturer at UKZN College of Health Sciences.