Thandeka Moyo
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
Broadly neutralizing antibodies are able to prevent the entry of HIV into cells and therefore HIV vaccine research heavily focuses on these antibodies.
What are your research interests?
HIV immunology, HIV vaccines, broadly neutralizing antibody responses
Tell us about yourself and your research interests?
I studied towards a PhD in Clinical Science and Immunology at the University of Cape Town where I looked at the mechanisms used by various HIV strains to gain resistance to broadly neutralizing antibody responses. Broadly neutralizing antibodies are able to prevent the entry of HIV into cells and therefore HIV vaccine research heavily focuses on these antibodies. However, some strains become resistant to these antibodies and this may potentially lower the efficacy of an antibody-based vaccine. I was able to decipher the mechanism behind the resistance of an unusually neutralization-resistant virus from Cameroon and crystallized its Envelope structure. I also determined the role of key glycans in resistance to antibodies. For my postdoctoral fellowship, I will further delve into how neutralizing antibodies bind to their epitopes; focusing on structural biology approaches.
What is your home country?
Zimbabwe
What are your online profiles?