Dr Phuti Choshi graduates with PhD – 28 March 2024 – at UCT
Phuti Choshi was the first Fogarty HATTP PhD fellow awarded a fellowship from our training program in February 2018, under the supervision of Professor Jonny Peter. We are proud to celebrate her graduation with her!
After obtaining a BSc in Medical Sciences from the University of Limpopo in 2013, she joined Professor Muazzam Jacobs’ research group at UCT and graduated with an MSc degree in clinical science and immunology in 2017. For her MSc, she investigated the interaction between neurons and T-cells in central nervous system tuberculosis to understand mechanisms associated with host-pathogen interaction and immune protection.
In 2018 she successfully applied to our programme, through a competitive process, for a fellowship to undertake the PhD project titled The immunopathogenic mechanisms of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) to first line anti-tuberculosis drugs – under the supervision of Prof Jonathan Peter, Prof Rannakoe Lehloenya and Prof Elizabeth Phillips (Vanderbilt University). Her research elucidated pathogenic mechanisms underlying life threatening reactions to anti-TB drugs, particularly in persons living with HIV. Main findings from her PhD include, i) an optimised ELISpot assay to detect anti-TB drug specific T cells – with in vitro diagnostic utility potential upon further standardisation; ii) HLA-B*44:03 risk allele associated with rifampicin induced SCAR; iii) pathogenic T cells clones driving the reaction; iv) a hyperactive and dysregulated immune state potentially contributing to increased SCAR susceptibility in HIV/TB co-infection.
She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Medicine, Division of Allergology and Clinical Immunology with Professor Jonny Peter, supported by a Fogarty HATTP postdoctoral fellowship.
Her publications resulting from her HATTP fellowship, to date, include:
Drug hypersensitivity in HIV infection
Jonny Peter, Phuti Choshi, Rannakoe J. Lehloenya
Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2020 May 19.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019 Aug; 19(4): 272–282. doi: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000545
PMCID: PMC7236403
Mireille Porter, Phuti Choshi, Sarah Pedretti, Tafadzwa Chimbetete, Rhodine Smith, Graeme Meintjes, Elizabeth Phillips, Rannakoe Lehloenya, Jonny Peter
J Invest Dermatol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2023 Feb 24.
Published in final edited form as: J Invest Dermatol. 2022 Nov; 142(11): 2920–2928.e5. Published online 2022 Jun 1. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.05.1059
PMCID: PMC9952832
Dose Dependent Antimicrobial Cellular Cytotoxicity—Implications for ex vivo Diagnostics
Ana Copaescu, Phuti Choshi, Sarah Pedretti, Effie Mouhtouris, Jonathan Peter, Jason A. Trubiano
Front Pharmacol. 2021; 12: 640012. Published online 2021 Aug 10. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.640012
Correction in: Front Pharmacol. 2021; 12: 758192.
PMCID: PMC8383281