Caroline Tiemessen is a virologist and researcher involved in HIV related research. She heads the Cell Biology Research Laboratory within the Centre for HIV and STIs at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and is a research Professor in the School of Pathology at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS). Her research interests include the study of HIV vaccines and the search for an HIV cure in both children and adults. In 2018 she was part of the research team involved with the transplantation of a liver from an HIV-positive woman to her HIV-negative child.[1]
Caroline Tiemessen | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of the Witwatersrand |
| Known for | HIV research |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | National Institute for Communicable Diseases University of the Witwatersrand |
| Thesis | The Defectiveness of the Subgroup F Adenoviruses in vitro (1992) |
Education and career edit
As a young child Tiemessen had a general interest in Science and was planning to become a geologist. However, the concept of mutation in micro-organisms, as taught to her in Grade 11, awoke her interest in biological sciences. While interested in medicine, her fear of needles precluded that avenue of study. Tiemessen went on to do a BSc at the University of the Witwatersrand and she completed her PhD in Virology there in 1992 with a thesis, presented to the Faculty of Medicine, entitled "The Defectiveness of the Subgroup F Adenoviruses in vitro".[2][3]
She then spent three months in Israel studying blood dendritic cells and cytokines with Yechiel Becker and on her return to South Africa joined the National Institute of Virology (now the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)). Caroline Tiemessen heads the Cell Biology Research Laboratory within the Centre for HIV and STIs at the NICD[4][3][5] and is a research Professor in the School of Pathology at the University of the Witwatersrand.[3]
In 2005 Tiemessen was awarded a Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellowship for 5 years to study protective immunity in the context of maternal-infant HIV-1 transmission.[5] Tiemessen and her colleague Patrick Arbuthnot presented some of their research findings at the 6th Wits Faculty of Health Sciences Prestigious Research Lecture in November 2011, entitled "From target discovery to novel treatment for HIV-1". The research focused on both natural and acquired HIV immunity and how gene-manipulation could be used to achieve that.[6][7]
In 2013 she was awarded the DST/NRF Research Chair of HIV Vaccine Translational Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand.[5]
Research edit
Tiemessen's research interests include the study of HIV vaccines and the search for an HIV cure in both children and adults.[5] A major focus of her research is natural resistance models which include investigations of mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission and adult transmission models. Her laboratory was involved in studies on the effects of very early anti-retroviral treatment on the establishment and maintenance of the HIV viral reservoir in infants,[5][8] including a study completed in April 2020 in which Nevirapine, Zidovudine, Lamivudine and other drugs were tested.[9]
She lists the substantial contributions that the NICD has made to the understanding of mother-to-child transmissions of HIV as amongst her greatest achievements.[3][8] Of particular interest have been the cases where children have gained immunity or resistance to HIV after shortened courses of anti-retroviral treatment.[8][10]
Recognition edit
- In 2013 Tiemessen was appointed a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.[5][11]
- WITS awarded her the Vice Chancellor's Research Award in 2018.[12]
- In 2018 she was part of the group awarded the Innovation Award by the Congress of Business and Economics[13]
- In 2019 Tiemessen was awarded the Scientific Merit Award Gold medal by the South African Medical Research Council[14]
References edit
- ^ Etheredge, Harriet Rosanne; Fabian, June; Duncan, Mary; Conradie, Francesca; Tiemessen, Caroline; Botha, Jean (2019). "Needs must: living donor liver transplantation from an HIV-positive mother to her HIV-negative child in Johannesburg, South Africa". Journal of Medical Ethics. 45 (5). BMJ: 287–290. doi:10.1136/medethics-2018-105216. ISSN 0306-6800. PMC 6582740. PMID 31085631.
- ^ "The Defectiveness of the Subgroup F Adenoviruses in vitro (A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Medicine)" (PDF). University of the Witwatersrand. 1992.
- ^ a b c d "2019-09 - A moment with Professor Caroline Tiemessen". Wits University. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Centre for HIV and STIs". National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Caroline Tiemessen". virology-education. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Wits lecture". Understanding natural immunity to HIV. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Wits scientists working towards neutralising HIV". health-e.org. 8 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Boseley, Sarah (24 July 2017). "Child treated for HIV at birth is healthy nine years on without further treatment". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ Kuhn, Louise (1 May 2015). "Latency and Early Neonatal Provision of Antiretroviral Drugs Clinical Trial - Full Text View". ClinicalTrials.gov. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "SA child living with HIV maintains remission without ARVs since 2008". medicalxpress. 26 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Academy of Science of South Africa - Members - T". Academy of Science of South Africa. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "2018-04 - Wits University". Wits University. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "National Institute for Communicable Diseases Annual Report 2018/19" (PDF). NICD. p. 68.
- ^ "Prof Caroline Tiemessen - 2019 - Gold". SAMRC. Retrieved 28 August 2020.